New Construction?
Update: The survey phase of the feasibility study to determine support for new construction has concluded. The parish will see a report in February.
The work of our parish Priority Planning Team, created more than three years ago, has reached an exciting phase. Plans for a new parish hall at Saint Mary are coming together, and we’re working with a construction manager to come up with designs and renderings of a beautiful new building.
The project will address some of the needs that have been raised during our review of parish priorities. These include:
- A fellowship hall capable of handling larger parish gatherings and events such as wedding receptions and anniversary parties
- An upgraded kitchen suitable for cooking and catering
- A space for youth ministry
- Additional space for outreach activities, both within the parish and in the community
- A more appropriate space for our wonderful music ministry.
Next, we want to share with you what we know, find out what you think and gauge support for the project. We are partnering with the Steier Group, an Omaha-based national development company, on a planning study that will begin in January. A Steier Group representative will be at Saint Mary interviewing dozens of parishioners about the project, and surveys will be available for all parishioners to complete.
Please watch for more details about the study. For twenty years, the Steier Group has helped Catholic parishes and school across the country raise funds.
This project comes as part of our efforts to enhance our parish facilities, a process that began with our renovated sanctuary, a project completed in 2015. Other priorities addressed recently include the new church floor, our hearing loop, and the Activity Center’s updated lighting, flooring, scoreboards, and painting.
Each parish household is an important part of this process. Because of your embrace of stewardship as a way of life, your sharing of the gifts God has given you, we have accomplished much. Thank you for that! Yet our vision holds so much promise of what Saint Mary can be.
Please take part in the upcoming study, and pray for its success.
Thanks for the update on the new parish project.
I strongly encourage the planning committee to look carefully at the Church Nursery. The Nursery needs more space, more storage space, a child’s bathroom, and the bathroom/changing table sink should not be used as the drink cup cleaning sink.
In the mailer that went out about the project, the opening statement points to the large number of children being served . “Our faith community is growing, and much of that is coming from families with children under age 5….”
How many children can be accommodated in the nursery? The Motor Skills room is a help and certainly a better design for the more mobile children, but even there space is limited and families are turned away due to too many children.
In the age of planned family size, it’s a nice problem to have. Try to make it look like St. Mary WELCOMES the little children.