Building the Bones Before Adding the Muscle!

By December 19, 2019

On Monday evening, our FUMCFW Next90 Building Committee voted on the scope involved in Phase I construction for the Next90 building expansion program.

First, we’ll launch the two-phase Next90 building expansion program with a capital campaign January 26 through February 23. Because we already have more than $5 million in hand for this $15 million portion of the Next90 building expansion project, we’re already more than one-third of the way there! Following the campaign and all the appropriate permitting, construction of Phase I will begin mid-summer.

The new children’s addition will be a 14,800 square-foot, 2-story structure with a new 3rd street gallery and check in, 13 new, appropriately-sized classrooms, and a large children’s area gathering space that can be created by combining three of the classrooms by opening its movable partitions. The current children’s playground will remain until Phase II, when it will be replaced with both a large indoor play structure and a new outdoor playground. In addition, Phase I construction will extend the Children’s drop-off/pick-up lane 150 feet (8 car lengths!)

To help address our current need for more space for The Gathering, Phase I construction will reorient  Wesley Hall, increasing its capacity by at least 20 percent, with a new entry vestibule on 5th Street, a new foyer entry from the existing hall (which will connect to the future rotunda) and replacing outdated and failing audio, visual, and lighting equipment, in addition to two new classroom or meeting spaces on the 2nd floor where the current Wesley Hall stage area now extends upward.

Phase I will also address some much-needed upgrades of outdated and even obsolete equipment including our Central Utility Plant (HVAC System). These vastly improved mechanical systems will include high-efficiency air-cooled chillers and condensing boilers and pumps for heating. Having all of our HVAC connected to this new Central Utility Plant will allow for more efficient heating and cooling while lowering the amount of energy we use with our existing equipment. The new system will reside on the roof of the Children’s Wing Expansion, and will be screened from view by sloped roofs.

Additional infrastructure improvements, including a new elevator, will solve current issues and set the stage for Phase II construction. Other necessary infrastructure improvements will include relocating a sewage line, adding electrical vaults to accommodate additional transformers, 14 perimeter LED pedestrian lights, and 20 perimeter trees and irrigation.

Immediately upon the successful completion of Phase I, a second capital campaign and Phase II construction will add the central fellowship rotunda and 500-seat multipurpose worship and dining space and a few other much-needed features to achieve this exciting vision for the future of our church.