Below is a copy of the FAQ sheet our leadership team prepared in communicating with our church family regarding the upcoming building project.
Why are we adding on to the building instead of expanding and renovating the existing space? Much research by the design team and architect went into this decision, and after lengthy comparison and investigation, their proposal was to add, not redo. This approach is at least as cost effective, and for sure much more user-friendly to us while we continue to utilize our facility.
How long will it take to move on to phase 2 of the renovation, and how does that fit into the budget? Phase 2 (finishing the upper floor of the addition) will be completed in chunks, with the timing driven by the availability of funds. We will approach many of the remaining phases of our renovation in the same manner we approached the addition of our parking lot, with a pay-as-you-go perspective. Once Phase 1 is completed, it may take us a year or two to save the money needed to complete Phase 2. Of course, we may see the Lord provide the necessary funds sooner (or later), so we will let the availability of funding driving the timeline.
How will go about future renovations/additions, and we will have to be pay off all the debt before we move forward? As noted in the answer above, many of the phases following the initial phase will be approached with a pay-as-you-go perspective. It is not our intention to pay off our loan prior to moving forward with the remaining phases of our renovation. Conservatively, it could take us 10 years or more before we are able to completely pay off our mortgage. Like a family, we will not “stop living” in order to pay off a mortgage in record time.
Why are we starting in September and not earlier?
There is a lot of detail work to do architecturally between now and the summer. Moreover, because we are using a pre-manufactured building for the shell of the new facility, this must be ordered approximately three months before on-site construction begins.
How does square footage compare to what we have?
The new building will have almost 27,000 square feet of space when finished (both floors); the current facility has approximately 30,000 square feet of space.
How are we addressing accessibility to the existing offices and youth room?
The youth room will be moved down to the main floor in the area directly under the current youth room. It will be fairly easy to enclose this area and create a functional space for our youth ministry. The offices will remain on the second floor until we can move them down into newly constructed offices, which will likely be down the road a ways. The new facility we are building will be fully handicap accessible with an elevator for easy access to the second floor.
Do we still own property on State Street? No. We sold it and closed in the fall of 2012. The proceeds from the sale of that property were used to pay off the mortgage on our current facility.
What will the current second floor become?
Eventually, the current second floor will become storage space.
Are the building mechanicals going to be upgraded?
Yes. A significant portion of the expense involved in Phase 1 is the infrastructure upgrades. This building was constructed in the early 1970s and served as a warehouse for most of its existence. In order to meet building code requirements in 2013 and to facilitate its use as a church with several hundred people meeting here at any given time, we need to do significant upgrades to the electrical, plumbing, heating, and air conditioning systems.
Are we allowing for construction financial contingencies?
There are always unexpected expenses that confront a major construction project. Built within our cost estimates will be adequate funds to address these as they arise.
Will the current restrooms stay where they are?
The current restrooms will stay where they are for the immediate future. These will simply add to the amount we are putting in to the first floor of the new addition. Ultimately, when the building is fully renovated, the current restrooms will be removed.
Are we allowing little toilets for the restrooms or have them in the classrooms?
There will be child-sized toilets in the children’s area, but not in each individual classroom. The cost of running plumbing for toilets or sinks in each classroom is outside the budget we have for this facility.
How much will be saved by September?
We have approximately $180,000 in savings built into our 2013 budget of $950,000. Some of this may be used for construction-related expenses during 2013.
What are the loan to value ratios?
The loan-to-value ratio is the maximum amount a bank will loan us in relation to the overall value of our property when we are finished. Banks typically operate within an 80/20 loan-to-value ratio meaning the bank will not loan more than 80 percent of the total value of an organization’s assets. In our case, the estimated appraised value of our project once completed is $3.0 million and we will seek to borrow approximately $2.25 million for construction costs.
How will people know where the new entrance will be?
When the new entrance is completed, it will be obvious to guests by the use of signage, landscaping, parking lot flow, and structural elements like a canopy or similar structure.
Will there be pictures of the plans on First Family Church’s website?
Yes. Visit http://www.firstfamilyministries.com/build for complete information and updates on First Family’s construction progress.
Are we going to be installing geothermal heating and cooling systems? No. In choosing the HVAC systems for our building, the design team had to make choices that worked within our budget constraints. Geothermal is considered a premium HVAC option and was not considered due to budget constraints.
How many kids will be in each classroom? They will hold approximately 17-25 children.
Is there going to be a 2nd floor above the projected offices? Yes, there will be space above the office area, but it will likely be used for mechanical and storage at this time.
Will parking be an issue when we expand? Yes. Even today, parking is an issue during our 10:30 am service. We have plans to further expand our parking lot, but like all things, we will need to address this within our budget priorities. We expanded our parking lot last year to bring us within building code limits for a building our size, and now we are addressing the critical need of space for our children’s ministry. In time, we will re-address the parking lot.
Is there a large group area in the children’s area? Yes.
Will the children’s ministry workers have input into the design of the children’s ministry area? Yes.
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