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I want to continue this week with the development of how consultation was used
in reaching the dollar figure of $400,000 for renovation of the “Old Church”
into the new Parish Center.
It may be hard for us to understand this concept, but in reality, “we” do not
own our own property. While we possess this property, the real “owner” is
Bishop John Leibrecht, Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield – Cape Girardeau
Diocese. As Roman Catholics, all the property in our Diocese is held together
by the corporate identity of Diocese. So, when any new building or renovation
takes place on the property of a specific Church, the Diocese wants to get
involved. They want to make sure the best plan is used when construction of any
kind takes place.
This is how the Diocese got involved. The architects of Butler, Rosenbury &
Partners out of Springfield got involved with the renovation project due to two
reasons. One, they have a good working relationship with the Diocese; and two,
they were familiar with our campus, since they had been part of the project of
building the NEW Church. As a parish, we needed someone who was familiar with
all the unique Building Codes that are part of doing anything in Branson (I am
sorry to inform you but the Building Codes of Branson were not part of my
seminary formation and education). Butler, Rosenbury & Partners had that
knowledge and were willing to work with us.
So, from about March to November of 2006, many meetings were held between
various parish leaders and the principal architect for the project, Jennifer
Wilson. After a general consensus was reached about the renovation project, the
architectural plans were sent to the Diocese for additional consultation by
those concerned with buildings and grounds in the Diocese. After those remarks
and concerns were addressed, the architectural plans were amended as needed and
a final working plan was agreed upon.
After the final working plan was agreed upon, some professional builders in the
area reviewed the plans. They estimated (that word is important…estimated) that
the whole project would cost approximately $400,000.
I hope this gives you some additional information on where the $400,000 figure
originated. Next week I want to address how we progressed into the fundraising
stage, which started last November!
I hope that these “remarks” are helpful? I believe that knowing the pieces of
the puzzle allow us all to have a greater appreciation of the larger
perspective. Thanks for your time in pondering these remarks! Know of my
thoughts and prayers for your and your loved ones.
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