Dear Friends,
As we approach the final stretch of our much-anticipated re-roofing project, I want to take a moment to share with you both the challenges we have faced and the blessings we are experiencing as a parish family.
One of the most significant hurdles we encountered was a technical issue involving the proper waterproofing of the area around the Baldacchino — the beautiful “Halo” at the very top of our church. This was no simple fix. Our architects and engineers had to design a special solution to ensure that this sacred space would be protected for decades to come.
The solution we arrived at was effective, but it caused nearly two weeks of delays and added substantial costs to the project. Because of this delay, roofing work will likely continue into the first two weeks of November. The good news is that scaffolding inside the church will be removed by late October, which means we will once again have access to our beloved worship space by early November.
As with many major construction projects, resolving unforeseen issues has elevated our overall cost. Here’s a quick summary:
·Original roof waterproofing estimate: $1,089,541
· Additional changes:
- Painting the ceiling and modifying underlayment: +$62,223
- Replacing decayed plywood and relocating wiring (minus credit for not replacing one large beam): +$6,616
- Replacing the old air conditioner above the main entrance: +$73,426
- Membrane coating all plywood surfaces at the base and sides of the Halo: +$68,017
This brings the total cost to $1,299,823, not including the original design and engineering fees of nearly $150,000.
