After a year of investigation and prioritization, after a year of fundraising, and after three years of construction, we can now declare that our major capital improvement projects are complete.
2017
In 2017, our facilities committee worked with Opus Design Build to identify and estimate the costs of our most urgently-needed capital improvements.
2018
In 2018, working with the Steier Group, we conducted a capital campaign dubbed Mission Critical:
A Campaign for Building Renewal. Parishioners responded generously, pledging more than $3 million to be given over the next three years. In addition, our finance council recommended that we release up to $1 million from parish reserves to fund these projects. We decided to complete the projects over three years, as pledges were collected, so we would not have to borrow any funds.
2019
In 2019, working with Opus Design Build, we completed the largest and most expensive improvement projects:
- New Heating System for our church and school, including new energy-efficient boilers, all new pipes, and a sophisticated control system allowing us to manage every component remotely
- New Air Handling Unit for our school that provides fresh, filtered, dehumidified air throughout the building, making ours perhaps the best-ventilated school in Minneapolis – just in-time to improve our safety during an airborne pandemic
- New Air Handling Unit for our gymnasium – making the air safer and more comfortable than ever
- Replaced Supply & Drain Pipes throughout the school so all plumbing fixtures now work properly
- Remodeled School Restrooms including new toilets, urinals, sinks (including touchless controls – another advantage during the pandemic), partitions, tile, paint, and lighting
- Recirculation Loop so hot water is available quickly in all restrooms
- New Chilled Water Fountains in the school (including bottle-fillers that have been another providential addition during the pandemic which forced us to stop drinking directly from the fountains)
- New Classroom Sinks and a new sink in the chapel
- Upgraded Fire Alarm & Electrical Systems throughout the school
- New LED Lights in the church that can be easily switched on and off, including dimming controls and pre-programmed “scenes”
2020
In 2020, during the first year of the COVID pandemic, we faithfully pressed ahead with a second year of construction projects:
- Masonry Repairs including sealing and tuck-pointing masonry as needed on the school and church buildings
- Steel Lintel Replacements above the school windows
- School Window Repairs as needed
- Door Replacement between the school and church building
- Sound System and Acoustical Improvements in the church
- Upper Window Replacements in the church, sacristy, choir room, and northeast stair tower
- Water Damage Repairs to walls and ceilings inside the church and school
- Inscribed Granite Tablets were reclaimed from our former parish convent and embedded in the brick wall of our gathering space
2021
In 2021, as the COVID pandemic continued, we completed the final projects of our Mission Critical campaign:
- Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Upgrades in the parish center, enabling us, at last, to control room temperatures and circulate fresh air
- Lighting and Electrical Upgrades around the exterior of our buildings making our property safer at night
- New Storm Water Drainage System near the southwest corner of our school which will stop water incursion in the lower level of the school and mechanical room
It’s a remarkable achievement!
Securing funds for hidden projects like these is not easy. You recognized the need and stepped up generously to provide the resources. Even more remarkably, you continued to faithfully fulfill your pledges during a global pandemic that brought great economic uncertainty.
The fulfillment of pledges to our capital campaign is now over 96% complete, and remaining dollars continue to come in each month. ALL of the improvement projects promised four years ago have been completed within
our financial means.