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This page was last updated on March 22, 2010
"I. SHORT RANGE GOALS: a. Acquire SCN bank property (and lease to long term tenant) – DONE! "II. LONG RANGE GOALS: "IV. OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
The recommended renovation of the Fellowship Hall / Kitchen area of the education building will provide: a. Six new Sunday School classrooms The recommended construction of the Christian Life and Learning Center will provide: a. Six more Sunday School classrooms;
The following reports submitted by Bob Barton, Building Committee Chairman, were published in Hibben's Good News Letter. Church Conference Decisions - Nov 94 On Sunday, November 6, 1994, a unanimous decision was made during the Church Conference to proceed with plans to develop our much needed new educational and fellowship facilities. The Building Committee will soon begin its work by evaluating our present buildings and developing plans for future facilities. Building Committee Elected - Nov 94 During a re-convened session of the Charge Conference on November 15, a Building Committee was elected. Committee members included: Robert Barton (Chairperson), Michael Simms, Steve Cowart, John Bushong*, Jo Ann Kensil*, Samuel Donaldson, Alice Magda, Edward Kaylor and Steve Blackburn. Comments About Proposed Building/
Renovation Plans Some members of the congregation have been questioning the size of the Christian Life and Learning Center. One of the priorities of the construction is new Sunday School classrooms. We have a number of classes in inadequate facilities and we need additional classrooms for growth. The most logical place to accommodate a sit-down dinner for 500 people, or theater style seating for 650 people, or utilization for recreational activities to include basketball and volley ball. The multi-purpose area of the Center will give our congregation great flexibility for many activities previously not possible. Besides meeting existing needs, this building program will ensure adequate facilities for future growth. Lastly, we are excited about this building program and are gratified for the support in this early stage of development. BUILDING COMMITTEE REPORT - June 96 The time is drawing near when we need to decide if the proposed building/renovation program has sufficient financial commitment to continue.As of this writing, we have received 100 pledge cards for an amount of $250,584. Our goal is $565,00 for the period from now to the end of December and the following three years. Please give this matter your attention. Your support and commitment is necessary to make this building/renovation program reach fruition. Building Program at Crossroads -August 96 The Building Program for a new Christian Life and Learning Center, and renovation of the existing fellowship hall to provide additional Sunday school rooms has been underway since January of 1995.We are presently on hold for the design phase called the construction drawing phase (last phase prior to going out for actual bids for construction) because our goal of $565,000 has not yet been reached. The actual pledge period started on May 5, 1996 and initially the response was commendable. However, during all of July and at the start of this month, the responses have slowed down. Accordingly, a combined Building and Finance Committees meeting in early August decided to go out with another request for pledges with a letter that allowed members to respond with a pledge, to commit to the building program without a pledge, or to respond to the program. The results have been gratifying with 65 responses from 140 letters sent. To date we have received $361,025 in pledges from 168 units of our congregation. We are a growing church in probably the fastest growing community in the southeast. If Hibben is expected to continue to grow and provide adequate facilities for our programs, we need to provide the necessary stewardship to make it happen. This building program has never been a done deal. If we do not receive our goal by the end of this month, the building program will have to be re-evaluated. In the meantime, we will continue to have inadequate facilities for Sunday school classrooms, have a fellow-ship hall that is too small for our existing congregation, and be content with inadequate space for offices, choir and storage. We have a golden opportunity to further God's word and mission in Mount Pleasant by providing facilities that will enhance our existing programs and future ministries that can not be accomplished because of inadequate facilities. It's up to all of us; your commitment to this program is needed. BUILDING PROGRAM REPORT - Sept 96 Did you know that Hibben Church in 1983 built our present Sanctuary? The Sanctuary cost $700,000 and included $50,000 for furnishings. The amount borrowed was$475,000 Did you know that our present debt is $393,020.50? This figure represents the remainder of the Sanctuary debt plus the debt for the purchase of the bank property. Did you know that the operating budget for 1983 was $158,314? Our 1996 operating budget is $498,133. The cost of maintaining our property and conducting the many programs and activities has risen appreciably. Did you know that 174 pledges have been received for our new building program in the amount of $381,311? The present estimated cost of construction is $1,172,951 and with the first year pledges of $108,638 reduces the amount to borrow to $1,064,313. How much will it cost to borrow $1,064,313? Interest rates vary from 8-1/4% to 9-1/2% at the present time. Our annual indebtedness for borrowing $1,064,313 could range from $123,923 to $133,338 annually. So far our pledges for the next three years average $91,224 so the shortfall could only amount to from $31,699 to $42,164 yearly. In our calls to the congregation, we had a very large response that members would be able to contribute after this year. Therefore, it is well within reason that our project can be accomplished with the pledges so far and the prospect of additional giving the following years. Brief1y, what does the building program include? The construction of a Christian Family Life and learning Center would be built on the existing grassy area behind the church. Facilities included are: a large multi-purpose room with a stage that would replace our inadequate fellowship hall, six classrooms, a large meeting room for various activities such as scouts and UMW, rest rooms, a commercial sized kitchen (all electric), rooms for the United Methodist Relief Center, and storage and service areas. Renovations to the existing education building include: six new classrooms, a choir area, rest rooms, and replacement of the heating ventilating and air conditioning system (HVAC). These new facilities would result in a net increase of twelve Sunday School classrooms. What is the status and how soon could construction start? Construction plans are 80% complete and construction could start in January 1997 with construction taking from 9 to 12 months for completion. What has been the overall response by church members to the building program? Based on the number of pledges received and other contacts, 84% of the congregation approves of the program. Building Plans Await Approvals - Oct 96 The Building Committee will be starting to review the construction documents on the new Christian Life and Learning Center and the renovation portion of the existing building in the near future. There are several approvals needed before we break ground with our project. On Tuesday, October 29th, members of the committee and the architect will meet with the District Board of Church Location and Building for a preliminary meeting where the preliminary plans and estimates are reviewed. Next, we need approval from the Town of Mt. Pleasant's Commercial Design Review Board. This board reviews how the new facilities will look to ensure compatibility with the surrounding area and gives approval for the design. Once this approval is in hand and the construction drawings and specifications are ready, we will go out for bids. This assumes that we have sufficient funds and commitments to pursue the program. After bids are opened, we will have a definite cost of the project and this along with a financial plan will be presented to the District Board of Church Location and Building for their final approval. After final approval, the church will schedule a Church Charge Conference for the congregation to approve awarding the contract and proceeding with the construction. How soon could the construction start? Construction could start in January, 1997, and be complete in a year. Do we have sufficient pledges and commitments on hand at this time to proceed with construction? No, we do not. Therefore it is extremely important to make a pledge and commit to this program or it may not come to fruition or have to be drastically reduced in scope. BUILDING PROGRAM UPDATE - Nov 96 The construction drawings for our new Christian Life & Learning Center and the renovation of the existing fellowship hall for Sunday School classrooms are nearly complete. Members of the Building Committee along with the minister and architect met with the District Board of Church Location and Building on October 29th, and we received preliminary approval to continue the project. The current cost estimate to build the above facilities is $1.2 million. The pledges received to date are not sufficient to pay for the entire project. Therefore, we, the church, need to make some decisions in the near future concerning this program. As previously mentioned in last month's Good News Letter, there are still a number of actions that need to be taken. The following time table has been established:
If you haven't pledged yet, now is the time to do it. The above schedule gives us some breathing room and will allow an assessment of how building pledges for 1996 and any additional funds that individuals want to contribute came in at the end of the year. The Building Committee would appreciate feedback on this program. Members are Bob Barton, Steve Blackburn, Carolyn Childress, Steve Cowart, Sam Donaldson, Ed Kaylor, Alice Magda, and Mike Sims. BUILDING PROGRAM REPORT - Feb 97 The Building Program is alive and well, however the negotiations over a new tenant for the bank property have essentially put the program on hold until these negotiations are complete. When the District Committee looks at new programs, they must evaluate the ability of the congregation to support the program and the current indebtedness of the church. So as you can see the status of the bank property plays an important role in the financial situation of the church.The good news is that currently we have deposited $81,207.24 that represents pledges for 1996 and other donations. Individuals who have not yet sent in their pledged amount are encouraged to do so. Your support as well as all the congregation is needed to continue with the programming of our Christian Life and Learning Center and the renovation of portions of our education building. Essentially, the plans are complete and ready for advertisement. However, as mentioned above, we need to obtain approval from the District Committee, obtain approval from the Town's Commercial Design Review Board, and after bids are opened obtain District and congregation approval before signing a contract. By all indications, we should complete this process before summer. Report On Program To Construct a The building program to construct a Christian Life and Learning Center and renovation of the existing fellowship hall to provide additional Sunday school classroom moved one step closer on Tuesday night, February 3rd. The Board of Church Location and Building of the Charleston District approved an indebtedness cap of $1,250,000 that includes the cost of construction plus our current balance of approximately $350,000 owed on the existing church and adjacent property. There is only one more hurdle to make before we advertise for construction and that is approval by the Town of Mount Pleasant Commercial Design Review Board scheduled for Wednesday night, February 25th. Since we have attained preliminary approval from this Board, we do not anticipate any difficulty in obtaining final approval. Ten local banks have expressed an interest in financing our project and we will be requesting information from them in order that we may properly evaluate their offerings. At the present time we are very close to having sufficient funds on hand to continue with our schedule to go out for bids in the April - May timeframe. We need everyone's continual help in backing this endeavor. On the last Sunday of March we will be holding a groundbreaking ceremony. This ceremony will further emphasize our commitment to this project and the recognition of our need to supply additional facilities in order to meet current needs as well as allowing our ministry at Hibben to continue to grow. Ground Breaking Ceremony Hibben broke ground on
5 April 1998 f BUILDING COMMITTEE REPORT - May 98 The Building Committee has been very busy with a number of things which include advertising for construction, interviewing banks for a loan, and establishing a fund-raiser. The design of our new Christian Life and Learning Center and renovation of the education building is complete and contractors have been notified of our needs. Bids from selected contractors are due June 15th. We will open bids that day, Monday June 15th at 2:00 p.m. in the church conference room. Once the bids are open and a qualified bid is received, we must have a church conference to approve the award of the contract. It is anticipated that the contract will be signed by July 15th with a notice to proceed with construction. Construction of the facilities should take one year. In the meantime, the building committee is interviewing three banks for a loan to pay for the construction and to assume our current indebtedness. The good news is that our actual funds received for the building program almost match our indebtedness. It appears that the interest rates quoted by the banks are very favorable and we expect a very competitive loan. Lastly, the committee will be sponsoring a program to raise funds for the new building by selling engraved bricks, like the ones in downtown Charleston on King Street. You will be hearing more about this subject in the weeks to come. We are excited! Contractors are interested in bidding on our program, banks are interested in loaning us the money, and members of the congregation are responding with their commitment to the building program. Building Committee Report - July 98 The Christian Life and Learning Center and the renovation of the Education building (Fellowship Hall, kitchen demolition, and new heating and ventilating system) were programmed to cost $1.2 million. This was the amount of money the Architect (Smith Gerber McClure Associates) was told to design the project to in early 1996. This figure of $1.2 million was still the estimate for the construction prior to the bid opening on June 17 1998. In the event that bids exceeded the $1.2 million figure, the Building Committee as a precautionary measure instructed the Architect to have a base bid and seven alternates. It was expected that we would have sufficient funds ($1.2 million) to at least award the base bid. Unfortunately the low base bid was $1,779,891. Six firms bid the project. One firm was disqualified and of the five bids, the difference between the low and the high bid was less than 10%. Obviously the low bid far exceeded our funding ceiling. The only explanation to this disparity is that Mt. Pleasant is in a building boom and prices are higher than normal. Additionally, the bid for all the alternates (Education Building classrooms, Porte Cochere with handicap lift, new kitchen equipment, sewer line, Granwood flooring, kitchen kettle, and new front walkway) plus the base bid amounts to $2,106,000. What are we doing about this situation? The Building Committee has been in contact with the Architect and the low bidder (Stier, Kent & Canady) to determine if there are any cost savings that could bring the cost down. It has been suggested that the mechanical system (heating & air conditioning) may be redesigned with some cost savings, however the rest of the project costs appear to be in line. The mechanical system savings are unknown at this time, but they will not be sufficient to make up a difference of over a half million dollars in the low base bid or $800,000 for the entire scope of the project. Some tough decisions will have to be made to keep the project for the Christian Life and Learning Center viable. We need more funds, which means more commitment from our congregation. We need to determine how this project can be reduced to give us a useable facility that can be expanded later to accommodate all of our needs. If we are to work with the low bidder and get this project moving, we have until August 16th to get this accomplished. The Building Committee is committed to this task, however everyone’s financial support is badly needed. Building Committee Report - Sept 98 The Building Committee met with Andrew Sabbagha, President of Southern Design and Construction Consultants, on September 10th. to continue the discussion with them of supervising the construction of the Christian Life and Learning Center and the renovation of the Education Building at an acceptable cost. Some redesign of the heating, cooling, and ventilating system needs to be done, however Andrew Sabbagha feels that this will be a cost reduction from the previous bids and allow the project to be accomplished close to our original projected cost of $1.2 million. We need to be patient and continue to honor our pledges for the building project. To date we have $363,233.88 in the bank. This is enough money to pay off our existing mortgage with some funds to spare. Thus when we start this project we will have only the one obligation of the Education Building. The Building committee hopes that we will have definite figures from Southern Design by the end of October or early November. Building Committee Report - Dec 98 The building program for the Christian Life and Learning Center and the renovations of the Education Building is alive.The Building Committee decided to use the services of Southern Design and Construction Consultants, Inc. to manage the project by obtaining estimates from sub-contractors for the work. Southern Design has been working and is in the final negotiation phase with sub contractors of various trades to obtain estimates for the work. Our hopes are that we will have definite estimates soon in order to start the necessary administrative actions at the first of the year for the initiation of construction. Building Committee Report - March 99 The building program for the Christian Life and Learning Center and the renovation of the education building is coming down to the wire. The mechanical system has been redesigned and this action should reduce the cost of the project significantly. This redesign will not affect the comfort level of the facilities only the type of system to deliver the needed air conditioning and heat for both the center and the education building. The present mechanical system in the education building has been limping along for some time with repairs being made frequently. The system is old and needs to be replaced. Now that the system is redesigned, the building committee opted to request bids from the three contractors that were the lowest bidders in June of last year. The three contractors are Stier, Kent & Canady; Gulfsteam; and Sandlapper. Additionally, we have asked Southern Design to submit a bid. These bids will be received on March 31st and the building committee will meet the next evening to review the bids and arrive at a recommendation to present to the church conference. Over the next months as the project develops, we will endeavor to keep you informed of progress and highlight some aspect of the new facilities. This month we will start with storage. Probably the lack of adequate storage space can be heard after every new project is completed because it is often overlooked, given short shrift, or eliminated because of cost considerations. We feel that this isn’t the case with our project. At present there is 1250 square feet of storage space in the center. To visualize this, consider that it would be the size of a room 50 feet by 25 feet. Where is this storage space? Behind the large meeting room there are two storage areas 50 square feet each. The kitchen has a pantry of 140 square feet. There is storage on the stage of 135 square feet and below that area of 135 square feet. . Think about all those chairs and tables in our fellowship hall and how unsightly they are taking up room there and in the hallways. There is 430 square feet of storage under the stage for table and chair storage. They will be out of sight there until needed. There is a multi-purpose storage area of 150 square feet on the right side of the fellowship hall. The office in the center has a storage area of 80 square feet and there is an 80 square feet storage area off of the hallway near the exit to the education building. In addition, there will be considerable storage space in the attic above the kitchen, restroom, meeting room, and office areas. The education building will have a choir room of 435 square feet that should allow for sufficient room for the choir’s storage needs. Next time we will talk about the multi-purpose hall. Building Committee Report - April 99 A lot has happened since the last newsletter concerning the Christian Life & Learning Center and the Renovation of the Education Building. The building committee received bids from three firms and the lowest bid by Southern Design was for $1,611,359 for the base bid and all the alternates. The second lowest bidder had a bid of $1,942,700. Using Southern Design we are able to obtain everything we wanted within our cost constraints. Southern Design is a construction management company and they will manage the project from start to finish. Can Hibben afford this project? We have approval from the Charleston District for up to $1.6 million in indebtedness. Our current mortgage as of April 19 is $317,535.57. We have in the bank a total of $430,749.00 for the building fund. This will allow us to pay off the existing mortgage and have a little over $100,000 available in cash for the project. How much will it cost the church to borrow $1.6 million? The monthly payment will be $11,583.53 or $134,790.12 per year. This is a lot of money, however at the present time we are making payments of $59,324.64 a year so the additional cost for mortgage payment would be $75,465.48. The income from the old bank property will reduce this amount considerably. Will there be additional costs for utilities, staffing, and maintenance of the new facilities? Yes and the Pastor Parish Committee is looking into hiring a staff person when the new facility comes on line. Based on similar facilities we can expect an increase in operating costs on the order of $37,000 a year. If we intend to continue to grow and offer our members a well-rounded Christian program we can ill afford to pass up this opportunity. This Sunday, April 25th 1999, there will be one church service at ten o’clock and the building committee will give a brief presentation and answer questions Additionally, the building committee will be available for further discussion of the project on Monday night in the fellowship hall at seven o’clock. The church has lived a long time with inadequate facilities. This project will provide us with sufficient Sunday school classrooms for the present and future. We will no longer be limited by space for such things as the Mother Daughter Banquet, children’s programs, community activities such as scouts and other civic programs, sports and exercise programs, and a wealth of activities not contemplated previously because of lack of space. Building Committee Report - June 99 The beginning is in sight for the start of the Christian Life and Learning Center. On Tuesday the building superintendent’s office trailer arrived and by the end of next week the two trailers housing the Methodist Relief Center and Sunday school classrooms will have been moved to the rear of the old bank building lot next door. Why has it taken so long to get started? The permitting process with the Town and the Waterworks takes time when considering the amount of construction being undertaken in Mt. Pleasant. The building permit should be available next week and grading of the building area will start. So far the bids received for individual work items have been very good despite the glut of construction underway in out town. The job superintendent is Scott Spencer and he has extensive experience in church construction with Southern Design and Construction Consultants. Steve Blackburn and Bob Barton will be the church representatives for the construction work. In addition, Smith Gerber McClure Architects will provide architectural services during the construction phase. Building Committee Report - July 99 Construction of The Christian Life and Learning Center (CL&LC) is well underway! The United Methodist
Relief Center and classroom trailers have been moved to the rear of the lot of the
adjacent One Hour Photo property along with the equipment shed. The CL&LC area has
been Construction has reduced the available parking to the rear of the Education Building. However, other parking is available. Please see the Parking Availability During Construction diagram in the July 99 issue of Hibben's Good News Letter. Last Thursday, the loan on the construction was closed with an amount of $1.6 million to be borrowed at a fixed rate of 7.97%. This rate is a little higher than anticipated earlier in the year but reflects current market values. This is a ten-year term based on a 30 year amortization. This is a good rate that would be even higher if the loan were made today. Building Committee Report - August 99
A word about the financial situation, Hibben had accumulated sufficient funds to pay off our existing mortgage and had a little over $100,000 to start the project. At the present time we are free of any payments and managing so far to pay the work to date on the Christian Life and Learning Center from building funds. It would be wonderful if we could continue paying for the work from existing funds. We will have to make our first draw from SouthTrust probably some time next month unless additional funds become available. Our obligation is to pay only the interest on the money we borrow from SouthTrust the first year. After that time we will be paying both principle and interest. If we borrow the full $1.6 million our monthly mortgage payment will be $11,730.81. This monthly payment is $147.28 higher than previously reported in the April Newsletter because interest rates went up by the time we settled with SouthTrust on our loan To end on a positive note, cash contributions continue to come in and we would ask everyone to make a commitment for this project that will provide so many needed opportunities for Hibben. Building Committee Report - September 99 Major contracts that have been executed include electrical, mechanical, plumbing, windows, trusses, Granwood flooring, and grading. Although the weather hindered work, we anticipate the rough in of electrical and plumbing to be accomplished soon and the floor poured. To get a good idea of the building layout, go up to one of the second floor classrooms on the west side of the Education Building for a panoramic view of the Christian Life and Learning Center. So far we have relied on building fund contributions and have not had to borrow any money from SouthTrust for construction. Building Committee Report - October 1999 Probably all of the floor of the Christian Life and Learning Center will have been poured by the time you read this. Please note the photograph below taken on Monday, October 18 from a second floor window.
Next week you will be able to see the walls of the building being erected and you should get a better idea of the spaciousness of this new facility. It will take 3 to 4 months for walls, roofing and drying in of the Center. There was a rundown of the financial picture of the building program in last week’s church bulletin. As noted, we are presently debt free, but we need the congregation’s continued support to enable us to pay as we go without resorting to borrowing from SouthTrust. Thank you for your support. Building Committee Report - November 1999
Originally, we planned to do the work in the fellowship hall at the last of the project, however we have opted to allow the mechanical contractor to start on the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system there early. In fact, the demolition of the boiler started on Monday, November 15th. Initially the heating system will be hooked up to the existing ductwork and we will have heat and not have to worry about the boiler going down and haveing to be fixed. The downside is that there will be no heat for approximately two weeks. This should not be a problem this time of the year. If it does turn cold, we would make arrangements for heat in the Sunday school classrooms. Lastly, we have had to make our first draw for funds from SouthTrust. Building Committee Report - January 2000
Work continues on the inside of the CL&LC with the installation of electrical wiring and plumbing. The stage is taking shape and as soon as the trusses are up, ductwork for the air conditioning and heating will be underway. Window frame installation has started. The plans have specified the types of kitchen equipment to be installed and the building committee will be meeting in the near future to determine from whom we will purchase the equipment. New equipment for the kitchen will include a refrigerator/freezer, food warmer, electric range, stacked ovens, dishwasher, disposal, hot food serving counter with six compartments, three compartment sink, and wire shelving. Originally we specified a new microwave oven and a new icemaker. We are looking at our present ones to determine if they still have a suitable life span. The other piece of kitchen equipment specified as an alternate is a steam kettle. It was listed as an alternate in case we do not have sufficient funds to buy it. The committee will look into this. Work in the education building consisting of demolition and construction of six Sunday school rooms, a choir room, and a kitchenette should start the week of February 14. Prior to that work some outside demolition will take place, namely, demolition of the stairway to the kitchen door and the stairway in the vicinity of the nursery, and demolition of the covers over these two doors. The bricks from the stairways will be salvaged and used to enclose the holes where the two doors on the fellowship hall have been demolished. Originally the plan was to complete the CL&LC before working on the education building, however in reviewing our options we determined that it would be very costly to proceed in this manner. By starting early we will save money and be able to complete the project at a reasonable cost. To do otherwise would mean completion in August or September and incurring additional costs. Building Committee Report - February 2000 Everybody should be seeing quite a bit of progress on the Christian Life and Learning Center. The lower roofs of the CLLC have been completed and work continues on the higher roof. The masons are busily at work and you can now get an appreciation of how the exterior of the building will look. Almost all of the windows have been installed. Inside the building work continues on electrical, plumbing, and installation of ductwork. The contract for supply and installation of kitchen equipment has been signed and the old kitchen equipment has been removed. Speaking of equipment removal, a big thanks is in order to Joyce & Sam Donaldson and Debbie Doll for packing up and storing all the kitchen utensils and a myriad of other things from the kitchen and the fellowship hall. The old kitchen becomes a classroom and in the next couple of weeks, the old fellowship hall will be transformed into Sunday school classrooms. In this month's issue of the newsletter, you will find plans indicating Sunday school classroom designations for the new construction as well as the new location of the library, and office locations. Soon you will be able to see construction of the Porte Cochere that links the CLLC with the education building. Several sound contractors have expressed an interest in providing a sound system for the CLLC and Tom Stalvey is assisting us in this endeavor. The stage in the CLLC will have outlets for microphones, speakers and a large projection screen. There will be a lot of flexibility for musicals, plays and other types of presentations to audiences in the Simmons - Colwell Hall. The large multi-purpose room in the CLLC was named for the Simmon’s sisters, Sarah Colwell and Rebe Simmons by the Trustees upon recommendation by the building committee. A significant contribution was made to the building fund by the sisters in their will. Building Committee Report - March 2000
Demolition and framing inside the education building has started and now everyone has a better concept concerning space allocation within the building. There have been a number of questions concerning the hallway between the classrooms; essentially that it appears to be too narrow. The hallway as designed is 48 inches wide. This meets code; in fact the code specifies only 44 inches for this type of activity. Since there was considerable concern about the narrowness of the hallway, the building committee has discussed the situation several times and Wednesday morning made the decision to increase the hallway to five feet. The only feasible way to increase the hallway would be towards the classrooms nearest the courtyard. There are columns supporting the roof on the Vincent Street side of the hallway that cannot be moved. Both the Charlie McCann and the Daisy Arms Sunday School classes have agreed to allow twelve inches to be taken from their classroom depths. Also the office of the Director of Children’s Ministries and the storeroom adjacent to that office will be narrower with an enlarged hallway. Several church members have stated they will pay for any additional costs associated with the change. The above photograph was taken on Tuesday, March 21. Building Committee Report - April 2000 The exterior of the Christian Life and Learing Center is over 90% complete. In the following weeks the exterior doors will be hung, the roof drain system will be completed, sidewalk installation will follow, and then landscaping.Drywall installation has started and once the drywall is completed interior doorframes and hardware will be installed. The installation of the Granwood floor will start on May 25. Next comes the grid ceiling installation and light fixtures. The kitchen floor will be finished with quarry tile, and plumbing fixtures will be installed. The committee has selected floor coverings to include carpeting, and tile in classrooms and halls. The flat roof on the education building will receive a new roof within the next few weeks. This will complete reroofing of the main church building. We are still forecasting a completion in late July. Individuals and committees need to inform the Trustees of their plans for the Christian Life and Learning Center after July so the building can be properly scheduled for their activities. Building Committee Report - May 2000 We had some vandalism occur inside the Christian Life and Learning Center. Persons unknown attempted to drive a lift out the front door and managed to damage one of the front doors and dented some of the drywall within Simmons-Colwell Hall. The damages are under $5000 and the construction insurance should take care of the cost. As many of you all are aware the air conditioning system for the Education Building has not been operating. The rest of the components for the system will be installed this week and we should have air conditioning this Sunday(May 28). The Granwood floor is being installed and the color is natural oak. This floor will stand up under adverse conditions. Hope we don’t have any of those conditions, however the installer commented that in one application the army parked a tank on a Granwood floor. There will be a power outage for the whole church on next Thursday and Friday (June 1 & 2) in order that the electrical contractor in coordination with SCE&G can install the proper power to both buildings. Make your plans accordingly. The building committee will meet next week on Thursday to select wall colors for the Christian Life & Learning Center and Education Building, color of stage curtains, type and color of kitchen cabinets, and color of kitchen counter tops. The last of the outer doors are being installed and soon we will be able to secure the Christian Life and Learning Center. Building Committee Report - June 2000 The Christian Life & Learning Center is now secure with all exterior doors installed. All of the dry wall has been installed and interior painting is underway. Some sidewalks have been poured along with pads for air conditioning equipment. Landscaping has started with topsoil being placed around the building. You may have noticed some landscaping taking place in front of the church parallel to the sidewalk by Coleman Boulevard. This landscaping is a part of the new construction. A palmetto tree will be planted near the curb cut on Coleman Boulevard near the old bank building. The landscaping plan included moving the large Bradford Pear trees in front of the church to an area close to the playground. The trees have become too large and cannot be moved. Additionally, the sidewalk that was going to be in the general area where the trees are will not be constructed. The Town dictated that the sidewalk be installed when we went before the Commercial Design Review Board and quite frankly it was a sidewalk that wouldn’t be used so we are better off not having that cost. We hope everyone has had an opportunity to look at the color selections for the project on the board in the narthex. Dry wall is nearly complete in the education building portion of the project. The estimate for the project is now a little over $1.8 million and this means our estimated mortgage with SouthTrust will be in the neighborhood of $1.45 million. Therefore, we will be under our authorization of $1.6 million. Speaking of finances, we will have only one mortgage with a monthly payment of no more than $11,840. Our old mortgage was $4,943 and we receive $2,000 monthly from the rental of the old bank building. When we consider what we were able to pay ($4,943) plus our rent received ($2,000), the difference of these amounts and our new mortgage payment is $4,897. This seems to be an affordable amount. We are still estimating that our Christian Life and Learning Center and renovation of the Education Building will be completed this August. Building Committee Report - July 2000
All the grid system for holding ceiling tiles has been installed as well as most of the fluorescent lighting fix-tures. Electrical panels are being installed and SCE&G has placed a new transformer for the building. Installation of interior door hardware is underway and flooring in the vestibule adjacent to the Porte Cochere is being worked on. Additional sidewalks have been poured since the last report and abandoned door openings in the education building have been finished in brick. The parking area and driveway through the Porte Cochere needs to be repaired and resurfaced and bids for those portions of the work are underway. All the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system equipment is installed and the requisite ductwork is being installed. Cabinetry for the meeting room and the kitchen should be installed next week. The installation of the handicap chair lift in the vestibule is underway and the basketball goals are installed. The building is shaping up, however there are still a multitude of things that need to be done. The Finance Committee has authorized the expenditure of funds to purchase sound equipment for the CL&LC that was not in the construction plans and the acquisition of tables and chairs for Simmons-Colwell Hall is being finalized. Plans are underway to launch a new giving program called Hibben Helpers that will provide opportunities for memorials and dedicated gifts for our new facilities. More information will be forthcoming in early August. Building Committee Report - August 2000 If is a big word and if everything goes right, we should be experiencing the joy of occupying our new facilities sometime the latter part of next month. The Granwood floor in the Christian Life & Living Center (CL&LC) is being sanded and refinished, and the ceiling tiles are being placed in Simmons-Colwell Hall. Plumbing fixtures are being installed as well as the kitchen cabinets. All the floors in the education building have been completed with the exception of areas to be carpeted. The parking lot has been paved and the landscaping for our new facilities is 80% complete. The new facilities' landscaping components need to be irrigated by our existing three well system and it has been necessary to replace the deficient existing pump with a new one. The waterline for the CL&LC has been completed as well as almost all of the electrical wiring. Touch-up painting needs to be accomplished throughout the building. By the time you read this, power should be in our new facilities and this will greatly facilitate the timely completion of our project. Building Committee Report - September 2000 It looks like the day for building occupancy of the Christian Life and Learning Center along with the renovated portion of the Education building has arrived. We should be ready by Sunday, October 1. People can plan to move furniture and equipment on Monday, October 2. It is going to take some effort to relocate and plans should be made by those affected to gather the needed resources to accomplish relocation. Sunday school classes that will be relocated in the Education building portion may want to schedule relocating on Saturday, September 30 into their new facilities. The new chairs and tables for Simmons-Colwell Hall are scheduled to arrive on Thursday, September 21. That same day the church offices will be re-carpeted. The same carpet used in the new facilities will be used in the church offices and conference room. The flat roof over the renovated portion of the Education building will be replaced the latter part of the month. This work was not in the original plans, however, upon closer inspection it was determined that the existing roof should be replaced. It may seem that the construction of our new facilities has taken a long time but considering the state of construction activity in Mt. Pleasant and the high cost of construction, we should be thankful that it has taken under 15 months for completion. There has been talk of not enough storage space in our new building and previously that has been addressed in the newsletter. We all need to be patient and realize what we do have. We have added 16,300 square feet of new facilities and renovated 3,000 square feet. You will be amazed at just how much space we now have to accomplish our mission and expand to do many other things that space limitations have not allowed us to do in the past. CL&LC Communications Update
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Copyright ©
2010, Hibben United Methodist Church
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or the
16,300 square foot Christian Life and Learning Center behind
the existing church. The photograph shows some of the ground breaking participants. The
participants are: from left to right - Beverly Cowart (UMW President), Bob Barton
(Building Committee Chairman), Elizabeth Trifiletti, Sabrina Williams, Robert Gerber
(Building Architect), Rev. H. Sam Johnson (Hibben’s Pastor) and Bishop Lawrence
McCleskey (SC Methodist Conference). Approximately 50 to 60 members of the
congregation witnessed the ceremony. The temporary UMRC trailers can be seen in
the background.
cleared
and the necessary fill material to obtain the proper elevation is being compacted. Once
the fill is in place, the foundation for the CL&LC building will be poured. (See
photos on Page 3 of the July 99 issue Hibben's Good News Letter).
The footings have been poured and the foundation
blocks put in place. Over the next two weeks the electrical and plumbing portions of the
project will be roughed in. The concrete floor will be poured once the electrical and
plumbing are roughed in. Granwood flooring will be placed over the concrete floor later on
to provide a wood-composition block surface that will give us a versatile surface upon
which the widest range of religious, recreational and social activities may be undertaken.
We all know that Mt. Pleasant is in a building boom and finding subcontractors for a
reasonable price is difficult. So far, we are happy to report that our construction
manager, Southern Design, has been very aggressive in finding subcontractors both in the
area and outside at prices that are within our budget. 
If you looked
closely at the poured floor you would have noticed that the main floor of the Center is
7/8ths. of an inch lower than the other floor. This lower elevation is to accommodate the
Granwood floor. As previously reported, the Granwood floor will allow all manner of
activities on the surface without harmful results.
Work is progressing nicely with
the erection of walls for the Christian Life and Learning Center. One can now get a feel
for the space available for the various activities that will be available there. The crew
working on the walls and roof trusses is from Sumter and they pursue the work very
diligently. We expect to have the walIs finished and the roof on by late December. The
picture was taken from a second floor window in the Education Building on Tuesday,
November 16th.
The
Christian Life and Learning Center is taking shape with the main trusses being placed this
past week. If the weather will cooperate we should see the roof completed by the end of
the month. A roofer has started to shingle a portion of the lower roof and we expect him
to continue on until all the roofs are completed. The type of shingle we are using is an
architectural shingle that will not only look better but will be more resistant to the
heavy winds that have in the past blown off a number of the shingles on the sanctuary. The
same roofer will be replacing all the shingles on the sanctuary and the education building
with the same architectural shingles. Our insurance will pay for this portion of the work.
The roof on the Christian
Life and Learning Center is completed and the porte cochere is taking shape near the
education building entrance. This area will have a handicap chair lift for full
accessibility. The exterior of the CL&LC is just about complete with only a few
split-faced block needed for some of the columns. Heating and Air conditioning work is
underway in the CL&LC with the large 40-ton unit already placed in the attic space
near the kitchen. 
The quarry tile in the kitchen has been installed
as well as the flooring in the restrooms and adjacent hallway. The flooring (see photo) in
the multi-purpose room (Simmons-Colwell Hall) needs to be sanded and finished off and this
will be done in August.
