Capital Campaign Updates
We will post updates on our "Capital Campaign Update Blog" below. These updates will serve to keep you informed of project progress, construction updates and impacts, and other information.
October 2019 Update
Things are really starting to come together on the lower level. Restrooms are nearly complete; community room lights are in and most kitchen equipment is in. The new hood is gleaming, and the hanging pot rack is ready for action! We look forward to archway windows, countertops, millwork and flooring going in during the coming weeks.
Our updated construction completion date is October 30. Just in time for our Puerto Rico fundraiser! We anticipate that moving back into our space will take about a week. Assuming final inspections are on time, we plan to start moving in on Monday, October 28. John Jakel is leading the effort so please let us know if you available to help at all during the week! Contact John: jajakel@aol.com or Amy: aperna@hamlinechurch.org.
August 7, 2019 Update
Lower level renovations are underway and over 50 percent complete! Check out a sneak peek at some of the spaces!
July 20, 2019 Update
Lower level renovations continue to progress with a few minor setbacks. Clogged drains aside, we also found that a few pipes needed replacing. In addition to replacing those, we also installed a grease interceptor. Last week underground kitchen plumbing work wrapped up and the concrete floor was poured. Our team from Jorgenson was happy to move on!
Over this last week a steel beam was added at a kitchen doorway for reinforcement. Framing also is underway. Bathroom insulation is complete, and framing is ongoing.
On Friday, our stove hood and make up air unit for the air conditioner was delivered by crane!
July 3, 2019 Update
Lower level renovations continue to progress relatively smooth. We found a few more “treasures” as our Superintendent, Wayne likes to say, as Jorgenson finished demoing walls in mid-June. Notably, there is more asbestos. This time it was insulating the pipes in the women’s rest room. That asbestos as well as more tile was tested right away and abated on Monday, July 1st. We also found that our main drain in the basement was over 50% clogged with grease. We cleaned that out last week only to find that more pipes exist than were noted on our plumbing drawings and that they were also clogged. As of July 1st, all known pipes are now clean! Wayne and Steve, our Project Manager from Jorgenson, have been doing a great job keeping us informed and problem solving as things pop up.
One of the ongoing issues that we have been trying to address is water seeping into the lower-level women’s rest room. Advanced Masonry was out earlier to finish the caulking on the north stairs and we were hoping that would help. I am happy to say, that so far, the women’s rest room has stayed dry.
Sadly, in order to make room for new air conditioning equipment we had to say goodbye to one of our cherry trees and a few yews on the north side of the church. We expect to pour concrete before the 4thof July and install the new equipment the week of July 15th. Later, a fence will enclose the area helping to beautify it and keep people safe.
Finally, a big thank you to John Jakel who has been working with our architect and kitchen users to help plan out the new kitchen space and order equipment. He also worked to save some of the wood from the cherry tree for later use at the bread oven. Thanks John!
June 12, 2019 Update
Most demolition wrapped up early this week. During the process JCI uncovered a number of issues, which is normal in a building of this age. They are working now to set up meetings with their subcontractors to come out to bid the proposed work. This is a process that can take a little bit of time and likely will mean that things are quiet here for a few days. For JCI, our renovation is a small project which means that they have nothing for their guys to work on while we gather information, host site visits and think through the next steps. Once we make decisions on how to handle the issues, work will pick up again and move a long quickly.
May 28, 2019 Update
On May 28, 2019 we officially began our lower-level renovations! Interior renovations have begun on the lower level in the community room, north restrooms, and kitchen. This area is closed during construction expected to last until September. Church leadership and staff are coordinating with the many groups and ministries whose building use will be impacted by the construction. Thank you for your flexibility. See you for coffee hour in the commons!
May 2019 Update
Capital projects are in full swing this spring! Advanced Masonry is back to finish a few remaining exterior restoration projects including work on the front steps. Pictured below: some of the spring cleaning that went along with the exterior work!
January 27, 2019 Update
Progress continues to be made on the plans for the renovations of the kitchen, community room, and north restrooms. We are awaiting final drawings from the architect for the restrooms and community room. We’ve conducted an environmental assessment and are making plans for necessary abatement measures in these areas that will need to be completed before construction can begin. It’s difficult to predict when construction will start as there are many moving parts that are out of our control – for example the permitting process, which can take 1-3 months. With that in mind, at this point the earliest start date would be in late March.
Kitchen plans: click to view larger
2018 End of Year Update
Our Capital Campaign has raised $1,223,562 in pledges and gifts! Thank you all for your generous support and faith in Hamline Church. This is a joyous beginning to the work we envision restoring and enhancing our beautiful sacred space, addressing our growing ministry needs, and better serving our community. We have nearly surpassed our miracle goal of $1.25 million.
The Connections Team, lead by Sharon Fields and Mark Krueger, helps to track individual pledges and contributions. They send out regular statements and update the congregation about giving to date.
In early January 2018 the Capital Projects Oversight Committee convened under the direction of the Church Council. This committee is tasked with determining project time line, project budgets, bidding process, and selection criteria for contractors. Two of the key determinants of our time line are cash flow and contractor availability.
Solar Panels
Solar panels were installed on the education wing roof in mid-summer and were fully operational this fall. The project required some additional electrical upgrades required by Xcel that we hadn’t originally anticipated, but otherwise ran smoothly. We are able to monitor their production levels on a daily basis. It appears that we are reducing our energy use significantly from this time last year. According to Solar Edge the installation has saved 9,951.69 lbs of C02 which is the equivalent of 250.65 trees.
You can view the production here: https://tinyurl.com/hamline-church-solar
Exterior Restoration
The exterior masonry restoration started in July. The scaffolding and cranes made their way around the building – replacing mortar, cleaning stones, and making repairs. The work is being done by Advanced Masonry and is overseen by MacDonald & Mack Architects. With an early turn to cold weather, the team had to wrap up their work in November at just over 80% completion and will return in the spring for final steps including sealing under the front stairs and additional tracery work.
Kitchen/Community Room/Restrooms
Planning got underway for our interior renovation in 2018 as well. We hired Clever Architects of Saint Paul to design the kitchen, community room and lower level north restrooms. Throughout the fall Clever worked with a kitchen user group to help give input on layout and design. Updates to the restrooms include updating fixtures and finishes and converting the men’s restroom into a single user, gender-neutral or family restroom.
An environmental hazardous material assessment is underway to determine any abatement needs for mold, asbestos, lead, etc. We are currently in the process of selecting a general contractor who will help lead us through the construction. We hope to begin the construction work in the late winter or early spring – depending on the availability of contractors and labor.
Director of Spiritual Formation
One of the missional goals of the campaign was to invest in the creation of a Director of Spiritual Formation position to help support our growing ministry and provide leadership in discipleship formation. Heather Grantham was hired in February 2018 and has been a wonderful addition to our team. Heather’s work includes support for spiritual formation of all ages, newcomer experience, and care ministry. We are grateful for the many gifts and graces Heather brings to our church.
October 2018 Update
Solar: The old electric padmount and meters have been removed from the SPROUT garden and the parking lot lights have been moved to a new transformer. The solar installation is complete. It appears that we are reducing our energy use significantly from this time last year. According to Solar Edge the installation has saved 9,951.69 lbs of C02 which is the equivalent of 250.65 trees.
Exterior Masonry Restoration: The contractors and architect have determined that there are two additional areas of repair that we should address. The caulking of the steel window perimeters and the caulking of the roof flashings. This fix would be an additional$34,250.00 expense. The Capital Projects team approved the change order as recommended by our architect Angie Wolf Scott and the trustees.
Overall cost update:
Original contract with alternate 1: $309,356
Change order 1 (traceries): $33,700
Change order 2 (caulking): $34,250
Total: $377,306
Our not to exceed cost for this project is $400,000, so while we are getting close – we can do this additional change order and still be within our budget. The last “un-turned stone” that could include additional cost– is the repair work on the front stairs. We still have a little breathing room for that as well.
The change order projects were in the original estimate for masonry restoration. The full bid was $500,000. We set our not to exceed budget for this project at $400,000 and then worked with MacDonald & Mack to prioritize and get a bid that would allow us space contingencies. These change orders were in the original estimates, however they have risen to priority as the work has gotten under way and the masons and architect see the conditions up close.
Kitchen & Fireside Restrooms: The kitchen user group met with Clever Architects on Sunday 10/21 to review some initial designs and layouts. The overall impression of the meeting was that it went very well and everyone was excited about the proposed changes. Clever Architects will take the input from the group and come back in a few weeks with further revisions. Good news- we will not need to change other restrooms beside the work we were planning to do on the fireside restrooms to meet code.
Update for September 16, 2018
Solar: The solar panels are fully operational! We are able to monitor their production levels on a daily basis. The last piece of this project involves removing the old electrical padmount and meters from the SPROUT garden. This requires transferring the parking lot lights to the new transformer. We continue to work with Hamline University, Kirtland Electric and Xcel and expect this project to be completed by October. You can view the production at the link below:
https://monitoring.solaredge.com/solaredge-web/p/site/800976/#/dashboard
Exterior Restoration: The exterior masonry restoration continues. The scaffolding and cranes are marking their way around the building – replacing mortar, cleaning stones, and making repairs. The work is being done by Advanced Masonry and is overseen by MacDonald & Mack Architects. The South Alley continues to be accessible only to pedestrian traffic. The Asbury street doors are unlocked for drop off on Sunday morning and other events as requested.
The contractors have determined that the tracery on the windows in the nave and the gables needs to have new mortar. In past window restorations, the windows were caulked however that was not a sufficient long-term solution. Mortar replacement is imperative to preserving the windows. This need for this repair was not apparent until the contractors were able to see the windows close up with their cranes. This fix would be an additional $35,000 expense and is currently being contemplated by the Capital Projects team.
Taking another look at the joint between the sidewalk and the building along the east alley it was discovered that the down spout needs to be redirected to move water away from the building. Kelly has been brought in on this and it will be rectified by 9/21/18. A sealant will be applied to the joint between the building and sidewalk for now to buy time until the sidewalk can be rebuilt next year.
Kitchen & Fireside Toilet Rooms: We are working with Clever Architects of Saint Paul to design the kitchen and toilet rooms. They met with a user group on 9/13/18 to get input on the kitchen – how we use it and what features we are hoping to include in the update.
We are currently in the process of selecting a general contractor who will help lead us through the construction. We expect the design process to take most of the fall and hope to begin the construction work in the late winter or early spring – depending on the availability of contractors and labor.
Weekly Update for August 12, 2018
Masonry restoration has begun -- please be patient while we create some dust!
During August when the scaffolding is up, the south alley will be limited to pedestrian access. Car access for drop offs will be at the West door on Asbury Street.
Weekly Update for August 5, 2018
Exterior masonry restoration will begin this Monday, August 6. During August when the scaffolding is up, the south alley will be limited to pedestrian access. Car access for drop offs will be at the West door on Asbury Street.
Solar production meter will be installed next week and we will begin receiving credit for our solar energy.
Weekly Update for July 29, 2018
Weekly Update for July 15, 2018
We had an initial solar inspection this week and after some additional safety identification arrives next week — we will go live!
Weekly Update for July 8, 2018
The electrical work has been completed. We are waiting on inspection of solar panels to begin benefitting from solar power! Our solar panels are currently producing energy and will be sent to the grid once the inspection is complete -- likely early next week. Soon we will be benefitting from the high summer sun!
Weekly Update for July 1, 2018
Electrical work is proceeding and building will be closed without power on Saturday, June 30.
Weekly Update for June 24, 2018
Solar Panel Updates:
Xcel trucks are on site in between storm damage repairs continuing their work. Two new electrical poles are now up, and new wires are being installed. There will be no power in the building on June 30. The cutover date of June 28-30 is still the planned dates to go live!
Masonry Restoration:
At their June meeting, Hamline Church Council approved the contract with Advanced Masonry for the exterior masonry restoration work. Work is expected to begin in early to mid July.
Kitchen & Fireside Bathroom Renovations:
Representatives from the capital projects team and the trustees met with our first choice architectural team for an initial interview. Clever Architects comes highly recommended and has a lot of experience working with churches and schools. We hope to sign a contract within the next couple of weeks and immediately enter the design phase of the project.
Greenway Project (2019):
Hamline U has requested renewal of their parking lot lease beginning 8/1 for 2018-2021. Because of the 2019 greenway project’s impact on the east driveway parking spots, the Church Council has approved a proposed lease amendment we will be presenting to the University to plan ahead for this major change.
Weekly Update for June 17, 2018
Solar Panel Updates:
Due to storms that hit the area several weeks ago, Xcel Energy’s crews for project work were backed up to allow for emergency repairs. Our planned electrical work to interconnect solar panels for the first week of June to be delayed. The new target date for the solar “cut-over” is June 28-30. There will be a generator for building power on June 28-29, and, if a third day is needed for our electrician to complete their work, the building will be closed without power on June 30.
Masonry Restoration:
The masonry restoration project does not yet have a hard start date but we are looking at the first part of July.
Kitchen & Fireside Bathroom Renovations:
A sub-group of the capital projects team met to review the responses to our RFP for architects to do the kitchen and fireside bathrooms renovations. Several worthy proposals were returned and one candidate has been identified for a follow up interview. We expect to report on an executed contract soon!
Update: March 2018
A huge thank you to everyone for your generosity and support of our capital campaign. We’re off to a great start and are able to move forward with confidence because of your commitment to and faith in Hamline Church. The total amount pledged so far is $1,110,010. And to date, we have received $509,010. We are still a bit shy of our “Miracle Goal” of $1,250,000 in pledges, and we will continue to work toward achieving it.
Capital Projects Update:
In the meantime, we have contracted with MacDonald & Mack Architects to oversee the administration of the church’s exterior masonry restoration project (tuck pointing). Angela Wolf Scott, who is a member of Hamline Church, is a principal of MacDonald Mack and will be working on our project. MacDonald Mack works predominantly with buildings that have national historic designations and Angela was recently honored with the 2018 Young Architects Award from the American Institute of Architects. Bidding for the tuck pointing contract began in late February, with selection of a vendor expected in early April and work to begin soon thereafter.
The solar project planning is well underway. An in-depth analysis of the building in preparation for the panel installation found that it is necessary to update some of our electrical configuration. The Church Council reviewed three bids from electrical contractors and selected Kirtland Electric. The electrical upgrades include a new main switch and updating our older 208ph3 power configuration to a current standard one. To accomplish this will require new transformers for us and our immediate neighbors. The most visible change will be a new utility pole will be installed near the edge of the SPROUT garden, and the existing electrical cabinet in the SPROUT garden will come out and a new one installed at the foot of the new pole. Timing for this project will be coordinated tightly between the electrical contractor and Xcel Energy to take place on a Thursday – Saturday. The plan is to have a generator on site for the first two days then close the building with power off on Saturday. Full electrical service will be restored for Sunday services. While we wait for key information from all vendors on timing, our hope is to have this work and the solar installation ideally take place in mid-April or soon thereafter, to be completed no later than mid-June. Concurrently, we expect the masonry restoration to get underway and extend further into the Summer.
Update: Winter 2018
Our Capital Campaign has raised $1,112,846 in pledges and gifts, including over $450,000 in First Fruit Offerings! Thank you all for your generous support and faith in Hamline Church. This is a joyous beginning to the work we envision restoring and enhancing our beautiful sacred space, addressing our growing ministry needs, and better serving our community. We have already surpassed our success goal and hope to meet our miracle goal of $1.25 million.
The public phase of the campaign launched on October 29 and concluded on November 19 with Celebration & Commitment Sunday. The campaign process included meetings with individual donors, small groups and congregation-wide meetings.
The Connections Team, lead by Sharon Fields and Mark Krueger, will help to track individual pledges and contributions. They will send out regular statements and update the congregation about giving to date.
We are grateful for the individuals who gave of their time and energy in service to the Capital Campaign Leadership Team:
Gregg Dahlke co-chair
Peter Theisen co-chair
Jan Bajuniemi
Richard Carrick
Elaine Christiansen
Austin Crossman
Ray Faust
Sharon Fields
Roger Greiling
Betsey Hodson
Amy Ireland
Diane Krueger
Kent Krueger
Mark Krueger
John Laster
Mary Kay Olson
Rev. Mariah Tollgaard
Next Steps
In early January 2018 the Capital Projects Oversight Committee convened under the direction of the Church Council. This committee is tasked with determining project timeline, project budgets, bidding process, and selection criteria for contractors. Two of the key determinants of our timeline are cash flow and contractor availability.
The Capital Projects team is working with MacDonald & Mack Architects to request proposals for the exterior masonry restoration project and hire a contractor. The projected timeline is to secure a contractor in March and begin work in spring 2018.
The Committee will form other short-term teams to help facilitate other projects as they occur (like the kitchen).
Capital Projects Oversight Committee
Carole Anderson, Trustee
Gregg Dahlke
Jeffrey Dreisbach
Al Edgar
Sharon Fields
Roger Greiling
John Jakel
Diane Krueger
Barbara Leary, Trustee
Mary Kay Olson
Angela Wolf Scott
Peter Theisen
Mariah Tollgaard
Jeff Voshell, Trustee
Welcome - Fall 2017
Dear Hamline Church Family,
We are embarking on an exciting chapter in the mission and ministry of our church as we begin our capital campaign: Sanctuary for the City and Beyond. It is a time of positive transformation at Hamline Church. There is energy and excitement around the church and you can feel the Spirit among us when you walk in on Sunday morning or on any other day of the week.
Last Spring we voted as a congregation to undertake a three-year capital campaign to restore and enhance our church in order to preserve our beautiful sacred space, accommodate our growing ministry needs, and better serve the community.
We are excited by the incredible people listed below who have volunteered to serve on the Capital Campaign Steering Committee: Jan Bajuniemi, Austin Crossman, Elaine Christiansen, Mark Krueger, Judy Hartman, Ray Faust, Richard Carrick, Amy Ireland, Roger Greiling, Diane Krueger, Kent Krueger, Betsey Hodson and Sharon Fields.
Our yearly stewardship campaign will be wrapped in with the capital campaign this fall. The campaign is being guided and organized by John Laster from Horizons Stewardship. A team of volunteers and our church staff are working extra hard to help our congregation be successful.
In the coming weeks and months, you will be receiving considerable information regarding the campaign through our weekly communications, the church website, and informational meetings. Additionally, you will receive a call from a member of our Prayer Team. Part of their assignment for the call is to share information about the campaign, the vision for our church and answer any of your questions. Please spend this time reflecting on the blessings you have received and prayerfully consider how you will support our current ministries as well as the future of our community.
The days ahead are a great opportunity to shape the future of this church. It is our hope that we will come together in prayer and respond in such a way that we will see the hand of God in our work.
Grace and Peace,
Pete Theisen
Campaign Co-Chair
Gregg Dahlke
Campaign Co-Chair
Rev. Mariah Furness Tollgaard
Pastor
