New Westmaple Classrooms Underway

Two new classrooms are being added to our Westmaple Nursery. The rooms will be available for this coming school year, beginning in September. The addition of two new rooms will put a big dent in the Westmaple "waiting list" that had unfortunately become all too common each year. The photos below show the block walls rising around the north side of the current Westmaple wing, both from the interior and exterior.

Slides from Annual Meeting Update

Click on the triangular play button below to view the slides that were presented at the June 13, 2010 annual congregational meeting. The presentation is shared via a web site, slideshare.net. Any other presentations on slideshare.net using the keywords Sacred Space are not related to the capital stewardship and renovation project at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Birmingham, Michigan.

Sacred Space Update at 6-13-10 Annual Meeting

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Annual Meeting Provides Bird's Eye View

This Sunday, June 13, at the annual congregational meeting, a Sacred Space project update will be provided. Get the complete bird's eye view of the project, including answers to questions such as: are we on schedule for opening? are we on budget? were we able to add the new gym ceiling work to the project plan? And more ... well, not too much more. Join us after the 10:30 a.m. service in the sanctuary.

Construction for Week of 6-7-10 and 6-14-10

Work began this past week on the construction of two new classrooms for our Westmaple Nursery. The foundations were poured this week (see photo below.) The block walls will rise shortly. In the mean time demolition and mechanical work has begun to integrate the new classrooms with the existing Westmaple wing.

The exterior brick work around the new stage addition is nearly complete.

Work on the stage addition is increasingly shifting indoors as the interior block walls are complete and the stage platform is under construction.
Meanwhile in the lower level of the town square block walls are nearly complete around the two new classrooms, storage closets and stairwell.The full two week construction is as follows:

Stage Addition
· Complete Metal stud framing
· Complete exterior carpentry work
· Complete roofing
· Complete brick veneer
· Complete with interior electrical
· Complete with stage lighting package
· Complete stage floor framing
· Begin drywall operations

Town Square
· Complete basement block walls
· Begin steel erection

West Maple Classrooms
· Complete footings
· Begin block walls
· Complete mechanical air shaft
· Begin mechanical and electrical

Music Wing
· Begin layout and wall framing
· Masonry infills
· Under floor plumbing

Interior infrastructure
· Continue with Fire suppression installation
· Continue with electrical relocation
· Continue with demo at New South stairway
· Begin new ceiling grid

Site improvements
· Install electrical service East side of building
· Begin parking lot site demolition
· Complete gas main relocation
· Complete water main relocation

June Parking and Entry Update

For the month of June, please make note of the following construction plans around Redeemer:

- NEW: Work on the new Westmaple Nursery classrooms will close the back Westmaple door throughout the month of June, both during the week and on Sunday mornings. You can still enter through the gym doors and walk through the Westmaple corridor. See photo below.
- Work inside the Music Wing will close the side music wing door throughout the month of June, both during the week and on Sunday mornings.

- The new gymnasium door off the West Parking Lot will continue to be open on Sunday mornings while work proceeds inside the gymnasium during the week.

- Access to the sanctuary is possible through the staff office hallway via the Chapel doors, through the church office hallway via the Office doors, through the gymnasium via the new northwest gymnasium doors and of course through the narthex via the church front doors.

- We continue with the specially marked parking spaces for those that require proximity to church doors. These are for anyone that requires their use.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Stage Construction Begins

Work has begun in earnest inside the new stage addition. With the roof in place overhead, block walls are now being constructed that separate the stage itself from the adjacent floor level storage rooms and stage-level prop room. The large white beam that we all signed Easter weekend can be seen across the top of the stage opening.

New Classroom Floor

The concrete floor was poured throughout the lower level of the new Town Square at the end of the week. The photos below show the two new lower level classrooms and coffee area, as well as the new stairwell and storage closets. Once the floor and walls are adequately cured and the water proofing is installed, lots of steel will follow to ready the area for the next level of construction -- the new Town Square.

Need a Shower?

Work on the new city-mandated fire suppression system continues each day. You may have noticed the ceilings have been taken out of all the corridors. This is to allow the contractor to install the necessary "plumbing" to bring water sprinkling capability into the building. All the corridors on the first level, the new and renovated rooms on the first level and the entire lower level are being readied for the new system. In addition, the needed upgrades to our water main have been completed, from across Maple Road directly into our building. In the next two weeks the entire system will be connected and tested. Anyone need a shower? In the photo below you can see that a new ceiling grid has been put in place as we prepare to install the new ceiling at the end of the fire suppression work.

Redeemer Red Brick

The traditional Redeemer red brick continues to go up around the back of the new stage addition as well as the white trim boards. When the mortar dries and the bricks are cleaned there will be a nice match with the existing building. The same supplier that helped us with the Columbarium addition was used for the Sacred Space project. The architect and construction manager reviewed specific brick shipments to the site, placed on the building, and in different lighting conditions to assure a great match.

New Roof on Gym

New insulation and shingles were installed on the gymnasium this week, for both the existing gym roof and the new stage extensions (gable and shed roofs.) Four and one half inch nail-board insulation was added across the roof. This will assist in the winter and in the summer with our new gymnasium air conditioning. The shingles selected are a colonial pewter gray, which matches our existing color scheme. And the new shingles are a 'dimensional' architectural shingle which is not only more attractive, but also carries a longer warranty than our existing roof. In the photo below you can see the new shingles on the right and the old shingles on the left.

Worship and Performance Stage Enclosed

The new worship and performance stage on the north wall of the gymnasium was enclosed this week. The roof trusses, roof boards, insulation and shingles were put in place which now allows work to proceed inside, regardless of the weather. This step removes schedule risk associated with rainy weather and gets us closer to opening the new gymnasium in time for the new fall confirmation program and midweek Redemption worship service.

Also this past week, the concrete floors were poured under the stage, in the adjacent storage rooms, and throughout the relocated maintenance rooms. This allows us to continue with interior electrical work and really get going on the stage lighting package. Over the next two weeks you will also see the actual stage floor framing take place over the newly poured concrete floor.

Town Square Foundations Proceed

Work on the new Main Entrance and Town Square is proceeding on schedule. The footings and foundations are nearly complete. The final concrete pour will occur this week on the west wall visible in the photo below. The big CAT excavator sits just where the new main entrance and canopy will be. The next steps are to complete the under floor drainage system, begin building the basement block walls and then pour the basement floor.

From the view below you can see the rectangular outline of the new lower level classrooms that will sit directly beneath the new town square. When the center partition is opened, this room will be larger than the Great Room, have taller ceilings than the rest of the lower level, and be outfitted with audio/visual capability. Uses include Redeemer bible study, VBS, confirmation classes, Sunday School, community bible study and other community events.

Music Wing Renovation

Work started this week on the renovation of the music wing. The current music practice room is being reconfigured for use as the nursery when the project is completed in November. This summer, the balance of the music wing is being renovated so that a new music practice room will be available when the choir returns this September. In addition to the new music practice room, the space will include a pair of new bathrooms. The photo below captures some of the initial demolition work around the area that was the robbing and hand bell rooms.

AC Returns to Redeemer

Who would have imagined two weeks of heat and humidity in the mid 80's before Memorial Day in Michigan? Well, actually, we could have predicted that back in January when we first learned that the air conditioning in the sanctuary was going to be temporarily disabled starting in May and for much of the summer.

But there is cause for rejoicing, as the air conditioning is back at Redeemer -- specifically in the main sanctuary. The photos below show the temporary air conditioning unit just outside the music wing. This will take the place of our regular unit until such time as the regular air conditioning is restored. In the photos below you can see the large white air handling conduits that run from the portable unit just outside the music wing, through the music wing windows and ultimately to the sanctuary. Hallelujah! Join us for church, and enjoy the air!

Nuts and Bolts

Many of you have asked, given the challenging economic environment, if we have been tempted to substitute lower cost materials to make our budget stretch further. Well, when we were walking the site this week, we came across this picture, which proves that we are using genuine Lutheran bolts ...
... Now, if we could just find some certified Lutheran nuts to go with our bolts ...

Construction for Week of 5-24-10 and 6-7-10

Construction continues on schedule, despite the intermittent rain these past two weeks. Things will continue to move at a rapid pace for the coming two weeks. Work on the music wing will begin this coming Monday, May 24. And work on the new Westmaple classrooms will begin just after Memorial Day, Tuesday, June 1.
The large block work is complete on the new worship and performance stage. The walls are being moisture sealed (see black "paint" above) and the insulation and traditional Redeemer red brick will be started this coming week.
You can just see the beginning of the framing and (bright green) drywall around the stage itself.

The trusses for the stage roof will be added shortly and the concrete floor should be poured at the end of this coming week.

Meanwhile work on the foundations and walls for the lower level classrooms are nearly complete. Stone covers the classroom floor in anticipation of pouring concrete.

The outline of the new main entrance is now visible in the lower level foundation work captured in the two photos below.

The 2 week schedule 5-24-10 through 6-7-10:

Stage Addition
· begin metal stud framing
· begin carpentry work
· begin roofing
· begin brick veneer
· pour concrete floor
· continue with interior electrical
· continue with stage lighting package
Town Square
· complete footing and foundations
· complete Waterproofing
· Begin under floor drainage system
· Begin basement block walls
· Pour basement floor
Interior infrastructure
· Continue with Fire suppression installation
· Continue with electrical relocation
· Continue with demo at New South stairway
· Begin new ceiling grid
West Maple
· Remove trees
· Demo begins
· Exterior site work
· Begin footings
Music Wing
· Begin staging for demo work
· Demo begins
· Begin layout and wall framing
Site improvements
· Install electrical service East side of building
· Begin parking lot site demolition
· Research gas main relocation
· Begin landscape repairs

Front Lawn Restored

Last month the front lawn at Redeemer was literally opened wide, to allow work to proceed on two site improvements. The first, an upgrade to our city water main, which will now allow fire sprinkling throughout Redeemer. And second, additional capability for handling our storm water runoff.

Front Lawn, April 28, 2010 ===>

Front Lawn, May 21, 2010

Now, less than a month later, the site improvements are complete and the lawn has been restored. The new, larger water main, enters the building at the southwest corner of the sanctuary. A boring machine allowed us to connect the main directly underneath the circle drive and formal gardens by the church front steps without disturbing any of the beautiful plantings. And the large concrete basins that were on the front lawn have been installed, connected and buried underground.


The Easter Bunny, commenting from his summer home in Northern Michigan, praised the workmanship and declared the 2011 Redeemer Easter Egg Roll "a go."

Tree Removal and Landscape Plan

You will notice this week that trees have been removed from the area between the west parking lot and the front circle drive. This was necessary to install a new underground storm water detention basin underneath the new parking lot spaces that will adjoin the west parking lot.

But please be assured that for every tree that has been removed, we will be replanting (this fall) in almost a two to one ratio, that is, planting almost two trees for every tree that had to be removed. Both maple trees and spruce trees will ring the new parking area, for the benefit of neighbors to the west, those who pass by on Maple Road and for the general beautification of the Redeemer grounds.

Likewise, the sycamore tree out behind Westmaple was removed this week. It too will be replaced. Interestingly, in almost the exact same location. The foundation work for the new classroom near the base of the tree would have disturbed the root system to such a degree that the tree would no longer thrive. Planting a new tree with it's root system intact, in nearly the same location, is a better, longer lasting solution.

As soon as the hot summer weather passes, we'll be replanting in the fall, not only these trees, but other landscaping around the new main entrance and other areas impacted by construction. In the mean time, lawn repair in the front circle drive will begin over the next few days.

Thanks to Jim Eppink at J Eppink Partners for providing such a complete landscape plan.

Easter 2010 Beam Signing

On April 2-4, Easter, 2010, hundreds of Redeemer members, ages 3 to 93, signed special messages on a very large steel beam that was specially displayed in our gymnasium. Now, a few weeks later, that beam has been placed across the top of the new worship stage in our gymnasium. The photographs below capture some of those members and their messages. Everyone who signed the beam was also invited to sign a special book as a commemoration of our 2010 Sacred Space project. Enjoy.

Construction for Week of 5-10-10 and 5-17-10

The two week construction schedule for 5-10-10 thru 5-24-10 is as follows:

Stage addition
· Complete block walls
· Continue with mechanical & electrical work
· Erect remaining steel
· Begin carpentry work
· Begin roofing

Town Square

· Basement footing and foundations
· Waterproofing
· Begin under floor drainage system

Interior infrastructure
· Begin fire suppression installation
· Continue with electrical relocation
· Continue with demo at New South stairway

West Maple
· No work in this area

Music Wing
· Begin staging for demo work, which starts May 24, 2010

Site improvements
· Install electrical service East side of building
· Begin parking lot site demolition
· Complete installation of new water main
· Research gas main relocation
· Begin landscape repairs

Sacred Space Giving Report

Total gifts given and pledged to the Sacred Space capital stewardship campaign totaled $3,860,000 as of April 30, 2010. This total of $3.86 million can be broken down as follows:
Pledged Gifts, $2,458,000 from 225 families
Unpledged Gifts, $1,366,000 from 60 families
Interest Income, $37,000.

Over the past six months we have averaged over $88,000 per month in gifts. March gifts totaled $115,000 and April gifts totaled $100,000.
We are all so grateful for the ongoing sacrifices made by so many families.

Of the total $3.86 million in gifts, $2.30 million has been collected to date. The difference, a little more than $1.56 million, represents outstanding pledges. We are now at the beginning of the second year of our three year capital stewardship campaign, which runs from April 2009 to March 2012.

New gifts, pledged and unpledged, continue to be made each month. We still hope to top $4 million before the campaign is completed.

Ten percent of the outstanding pledges (currently $156,000 as of 4-30-10) are set aside as a contingency against pledge receivables. While this contingency helps assure that we only spend what we can conservatively plan to collect at the end of the three year campaign, it also means that this contingency money is not available to our construction budget.

If you have the flexibility in your financial plans, please consider making a portion of your second year gift while construction work is still in progress. In addition to reducing the 10% pledge contingency, it also will save us the 3% borrowing cost later this year and next. So you can see that the same gift amount, timed for this summer, multiplies in value by almost 15% which directly helps our ongoing construction efforts.

More Construction Photos from 5-4-10

More construction photos from a beautiful sunny May day at Redeemer ...

From the outside the opening for the new stage is now clearly visible on the north wall.

And from the inside, the temporary tarp over the stage opening lights up the entire gym.

Check out the exposed roof and beams that are now visible with the gym ceiling removed.

Meanwhile the cinderblock that surrounds the new maintenance storage room is going up at a rapid pace.

And the lower level classroom walls (below the Town Square) are being readied for concrete.

Out in front work continues on new water retention basins that will soon be hidden from view.