Renovation Project
We’re completing essential renovations to our beautiful 100 year-old building.
Hillhurst United’s Church building is over 100 years old.
June 12, 2022
Renovation Update by Sheila Wappel-McLean and John Buller, Co-project Managers
At the February 2022 congregational meeting the Hillhurst Renovation Project Managers, Sheila Wappel McLean and John Buller recommended that due to the ongoing price increases and long lead time issues in the construction world, that the start of this project be delayed until either late 2022 or the spring of 2023. This recommendation was accepted by the congregation.
However, in the last few months the Renovation Team has been working on an affordable phased approach to the renovation, so that the initial goals of replacing the kitchen and filling the urgent need for a lift to the sanctuary could be completed in 2022 as Phase 1.
For Phase 1 to be affordable, it was determined by the Renovation Team that a restaurant quality commercial kitchen was neither desirable nor required to meet building code. This allows for less intense requirements for exhaust, thereby lowering the overall cost and creating a safer cooking environment for volunteers.
We have identified 3 possible phases to the proposed renovation. Phase 2 and 3 will not be undertaken until there is some stability in pricing of the construction materials required.
Phase 1 consisting of the kitchen and the lift is affordable and not impacted as much by pricing uncertainty due to in-kind donations and the 2022 construction time period. The cost of phase 1 will be approximately $350,000.
The Hillhurst Church Board accepted the recommendation that Phase 1 go ahead as soon as possible, so as to be completed in 2022.
Expected start date for the lift and playground area construction is this July. The kitchen construction would begin this September with completion by year end.
Side view of accessibility lift
November 25, 2021
Status and Recommendations from Co-Project managers, Sheila Wappel-McLean and John Bueller:
After an update to the board of directors in June 2021, we proceeded with the design development approved at that point. The board approved an amount of 1.4 Million in June, 2021 assuming that scope changes were occurring at the time as plans were being further developed.
At this point in time, architectural drawings are complete and the consultant drawings for electrical, mechanical and structural will be complete in a matter of days.
We had hoped the drawings would have been done earlier, but more time was needed to ascertain and confirm the church’s requirement for lighting and power for audio/visual and security issues. Also, structural capacity of the roof had to be evaluated to determine what could/and could not be put on the roof or suspended from the roof. Determinations also had to be made about the current state of plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems and what would be required to replace systems that have exceeded their lifetimes. The initial decision to change the kitchen also had many implications on what was needed for these systems.
The design of the church annex renovation will be an exciting, visual change both inside and out with many functional improvements in many areas. The front entry will be fresh, bright and welcoming, washrooms will be new and all gender, the kitchen is all new and the event space will be a more joyful space to use and to attract new rental revenue.
The scope of the project has changed dramatically since the initial pricing was done last November based on what we knew at the time.
As you all know, the last year has altered our world in many ways due to the pandemic. The construction world is no different. Costs of materials and labour have increased about 20 percent overall with some materials increasing 150 percent (lumber and steel). We are also seeing some very long delivery times for many materials.
We met with our general contractors, Ryan Murphy Construction (RMC), to go through an exercise of what the current pricing would be based on the original scope of work that was used last November. The pricing for construction and consultant fees that we now have based on the original concept has increased by 35 percent from 1,105M to 1,481M.
We are now going to start the final pricing process with RMC based on the completed drawings and that will take about two to three weeks. We do expect the project to exceed previous estimates due to the above items and also, an expanded scope of work. This is attributed to:
Additions to the scope
Items which needed more work than originally thought
As a renovation project - new items are discovered through the development of the design which can cause increases to the scope.
Our current recommendations at this point are to:
Proceed to a final cost estimate based on the increased scope and current pricing. This should be completed by Dec 31 and available to the congregation in January.
Be prepared to evaluate options (with RMC and Studio Presber) for pricing, including:
Look at areas where cost savings may be achieved, if needed
Evaluate separately priced items that could be implemented later or removed, if needed
Look at the possibility of phasing the project, if needed
Given that we are in a very volatile period with shortages and increased construction costs the number from November 2020 of $1,105,000 has increased to 1,481,000 or 34 percent, that we not proceed with construction until prices stabilize.
While current economic indicators show a decline in construction pricing this current number of 1.481M does not include increase in scope as explained above. The increase in scope is likely to take the total number to well over 2M at current pricing levels. Evaluating cost vs value is not in the project managers scope of responsibility.
The design of this project has been done in a thoughtful way and our approach will be to gather this information on pricing and then carefully evaluate the elements in order to determine the best ‘go forward’ approach.
Thank you,
Sheila Wappel-McLean and John Bueller
Click here to view the Development Permit approved by the city.
Plans for the outside, west end of building
Watch the renovation presentation from the congregational meeting in June, 2021.
Click here to watch the renovation presentation from the congregational meeting in February.
Inside
Our kitchen, bathrooms, and gymnasium are the most active areas for both congregants and community guests, and experience the most wear-and-tear.
Our outdated kitchen needs upgrades to improve ventilation and food safety requirements that will qualify it as a commercial kitchen. An electrical fire last December showed us just how necessary these renovations are. With input from our most frequent kitchen volunteers, we have a plan for new appliances and a new layout that will help the kitchen not only function better, but also provide a more enjoyable experience for cooking and serving together in community.
Kitchen layout
Our bathrooms and plumbing are old and often have issues. Renovations will open up the space and improve ventilation. Gender neutral and accessible stalls will help us live into our values of social justice and radical hospitality.
We also propose that our gymnasium stage be turned into modern meeting rooms, with the technology to host in-person and online hybrid events that will be essential to including our online community as we come back to the building. These rooms could also be rented out as meeting spaces, which would be another source of income for the church.
An elevator lift and a new electric panel are other necessities we plan to implement with your support.
Floor plan
Outside
Changes are also being proposed to the outside of the building (the “Annex” or the part constructed in the 1950s/60s). The images below show the plan to give the entire building a more cohesive look and establish an inviting entrance. Click here to view the development permit approved by the city.
Community Engagement Sessions
In the month of May, we offered two Community Engagement Sessions. These online Zoom gatherings provided a space for congregants to hear the latest updates from our renovation team, provide feedback, and ask questions. Nineteen congregants registered for the May 12 session and thirty-five congregants registered for the May 27 session.
How you can help
Whether your contribution is big or small, we want everyone at Hillhurst to be a part of getting ready, together.
Make your pledge by filling out the pledge form here.
Fulfilling your pledge
The Getting Ready Reno campaign is a three year campaign. Fulfill your pledge over one, two, or three years, or with a one-time gift. The choice is up to you. You can give monthly or annually.
Fulfill your pledge via:
Bank Withdrawal
E-Transfer
Credit Card
Cheque
Stock donation
After you complete the pledge form, an email will be sent to you with details on each of the payment options.
An energetic church
Our community is full of energy. When we’re not in a global pandemic, our church building welcomes 400 people to worship every Sunday. Our kitchen serves 150 congregants lunch, and provides meals three times a week for 100 guests who are experiencing food insecurity.
The building also hosts midweek programs like book studies, guest speakers, contemplative practices, music rehearsals, and children and youth programming.
Walking in the path of Jesus, our church is a hub for social justice, working in the areas of Indigenous reconciliation, anti-racism, refugees, and LGBTQ2IA+ inclusion.
Our building also hosts dozens of funerals, weddings, and baptisms a year, and provides space for addiction recovery programs, a community daycare, and environmental groups.
Wherever you fit into this colourful and vibrant picture, we invite you to be part of getting ready to come back to church in the building.
Project Managers
This summer, congregants Sheila Wappel-McLean and John Bueller were named project managers. Sheila has attended Hillhurst since 2008 and is a retired commercial interior designer, specializing in historic restorations and large commercial interior design projects. John began attending Hillhurst in 2019 and is the co-founder and retired CEO of Legacy Kitchens, one the largest kitchen design and supply companies in Calgary.
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