Building Updates
September 2024
We are thrilled to announce that permits have been approved, and construction has officially commenced on the property located at Durango and Oquendo. Equipment has been transported to the site, and work is underway to level the ground, prepare for drainage installation, and remove clay and caliche that could impede progress. Moreover, during this phase, the soil will be compacted, and foundational work below the surface will begin. Our contractors, Burke Construction, are also coordinating with utility companies and offsite services to ensure water, sewer, electricity, and communications are connected to our underground infrastructure.
This is an exhilarating moment as we can finally witness construction activity on our property. Once the groundwork and foundation phase is completed, the county will grant approval for above-ground construction, allowing us to see our building emerge from the desert landscape. This sequence of construction is standard, as permits are issued for the next phase while the previous one is being finalized and inspected. It truly is a blessing to witness progress toward completion.
Moving forward, Burke Construction will capture weekly photos of the developments, including drone footage, showcasing the building’s evolution. These images and videos will be shared on our website and featured in the church newsletter.
To see drone footage of the new building site, click the link:
August 2024
Our plans for the building have all been submitted to the county for approval and permits. This is a long process; however, we are moving as quickly as possible. We have received suggestions from the county regarding the structural review portion of our plans and are working with our engineers and architects to address them. Our civil engineering plans have been reviewed after we resubmitted due to the drainage issue. Indications are they are complete and moving forward.
Regarding the property on Durango, we have applied for the necessary easements and that process is moving smoothly through the county approval process. Additionally, the water district reviews are complete and we are in the process of signing contracts with them.
Our contractors have sent us a draft of the final contract. Our contract subcommittee is reviewing it before submitting it to the session and congregation for final approval.
The building committee is now working on hiring a project director to coordinate the physical construction of our building. This will be important once we have a contract with a contractor to keep the project on track, eliminating an unreasonable learning curve for our volunteer building committee, session, and staff.
Next Steps
Burke Construction and the church are in the process of ordering equipment and materials for the new building.Additionally, the Session of Grace Presbyterian Church has created a plan for community outreach in our new location with monthly events and congregational outreach. On September 11, following worship, we will be holding a ministry fair and potluck lunch to introduce the ministry and programs that are being developed to help us reach out to our new community and prepare for our move. It is our hope that you will join us for this event and see how you might get involved in our ministry as we prepare for our move to the southwest portion of the Las Vegas valley. Please pray for our church, its leadership, and our new community as we prepare to move and expand our ministry in our new location.
June 2024
Its official,
we are in the building phase of our new facility at Durango and Oquendo is off
to the races. We held our groundbreaking on June 11th where we
celebrated the beginning of the building phase.
Currently the church is purchasing materials and supplies while Burke
Constriction arranges the construction schedule and coordinates subcontractors.
By managing the project this was the church avoids paying sales tax on
materials and supplies.
We have been told by the building department
at Clark County that our permits and building plans are on track for approval
in the next few days. Both our
contractors and our architects believe that the building process should take
approximately 1 year. We are planning for the move from our current facility on
Charleston Blvd. to the new church in August of 2025. It is exciting to see this project finally
enter the building phase and witness God working to build a new facility for
Grace.
To help
coordinate this project, the church has contracted with Mac MacBride to serve
as our owner representative. Mac will liaison
with the church, Burke Construction, Subcontractors, county inspectors, and
Knit Architects to see that the project stays on track with limited (hopefully
none) cost overruns.
In April, the
church voted to fund the $17,052,000 project with the existing building fund that
consists of monies from the settlement with the State of Nevada and our capital
campaign. Noting that there will be a
short fall of $2,360,000 the congregation voted to take a loan from the Synod
of the Pacific and the Presbyterian Loan Program at the General Assembly of up
to $2,400,000. This letter of credit was approved on June 20th and
is available for use. Our prayer is to
use as little as possible to complete the project thereby keeping our debt as
low as possible.
Next Steps
Burke
Construction and the church are in the process of ordering equipment and
materials for the new building.
Additionally, the Session of Grace Presbyterian Church has created a
plan for community outreach in our new location with monthly events and
congregational outreach. This plan is
being implemented and begins with a firework stand nearby the property. Our hope is to meet the community and share
our ministry vision for the new facility with people at the fireworks booth.
Finally, the church staff and session are working on plans and procedures for
moving the church when the time comes.
This requires the reduction of materials currently stored at the church
as well as determining which items will move with us. Please pray for our church, its leadership,
and our new community as we prepare to move and expand our ministry in a new
location.
May 2024
The building project for the new church at Durango and Oquendo is off to the races. On May 24th , 2024, the church signed the contract with Burke Construction for the building of the new facility. We also hired an Owner’s Representative (project manager who will soon be introduced to the congregation. This position will help oversee the details of the construction phase and coordinate with the church, the construction company, and Clark County to keep the project on track, within budget and on time.
The official groundbreaking ceremony for the construction phase of the project has been scheduled! We will begin to move dirt with a special ceremony on June 11th at 11:00 am on the property on Durango and Oquendo. Please join us for this short celebration at the new church site.
In April, the church voted to fund the $17,052,000 project with the existing building fund that consists of monies from the settlement with the State of Nevada and our capital campaign. Noting that there will be a short fall of $2,360,000 the congregation voted to take a loan from the Synod of the Pacific and the Presbyterian Loan Program at the General Assembly of up to $2,400,000. This letter of credit is in the approval process and the funds should be available in the next couple of months, long before they will be required.
Next Steps
Burke Construction and the church are in the process of ordering equipment and materials for the new building. Additionally, the session of Grace Presbyterian Church is working on a plan for community outreach in our new location with monthly events and congregational outreach. This plan will be presented to the congregation in the coming weeks. Finally, the church staff and session are working on plans and procedures for moving the church when the time comes. This requires the reduction of materials currently stored at the church as well as determining which items will move with us. Please pray for our church, its leadership, and our new community as we prepare to move and expand our ministry in a new location.
April 2024
The building project is moving forward and picking up pace for the new church facilty at Durango and Oquendo. On April 14th, 2024, the church voted to fund the $17,052,000 project with the existing building fund that consists of monies from the settlement with the State of Nevada and our capital campaign. Noting that there will be a short fall of $2,360,000 the congregation voted to take a loan from the Synod of the Pacific and the Presbyterian Loan program at the General Assembly of up to $2,400,000. To address the debt and the rising cost of the building project, due in part to the cost of rent (approximately $30,000 per month) the session and congregation of Grace Presbyterian Church are considering several options to reduce the cost of the project, raise additional funds and reduce expenses. One such option being considered is the possibility of a temporary move to a location with a much lower rent for the remainder of the construction. To address this one option, a congregational meeting has been called for Sunday, April 28, 2024, in the Sanctuary at 11:30 am. to act upon the recommendation of the building committee task force. Town Hall meetings have been scheduled between congregational meetings to discuss the options and prepare for a possible vote.
In addition to the funding being finalized the congregation voted to hire Burke Construction as our builders. With the signing of the contract, Burke has begun purchasing materials needed for our project and arranging sub-contractors such as electricians, plumbers, roofers, and other specialists to work on our project. As soon as our permits are approved by the county Burke will begin some of the infrastructure work. We hope to have a groundbreaking ceremony early in June. Our contractors tell us they expect the project to take 12 months to complete.
Next Steps
As soon as Clark County approves our permits to build, we will begin the construction phase. We expect this to happen very soon. In the next few weeks, we will hire a Construction Manager. A Construction Manager works on behalf of the church, ensuring that the building is built to our specifications and coordinates with the contractor holding them accountable to the contract and our desires for the building. They also will work to resolve issues that arise between our contractor and Clark County. This is a highly specialized position, and we are collaborating with professionals in the industry to find the most qualified and experienced manager for our project.
March 2024
Our building plans are moving through the county approval process at an encouraging pace. There had been issues with the location of one of the NV Energy Power transmission poles on Durango and visibility issues created by its location to our proposed building. This issue seems to be resolving itself with the help of county building officials and our engineers. As the plan approval and permitting process continues, please be in prayer that we complete this phase in a timely manner and that we continue to stay on track with our proposed timeline.
The Session of Grace has begun the loan application process for our construction loan and will be submitting the proper documents to the Synod of the Pacific and the PCUSA loaning entities for approval in the next few weeks. In the next few weeks the Session will call for a congregational meeting to approve the necessary loan, as congregational approval is required for any debt taken by the church. Additionally, we will be seeking support in this endeavor from the Presbytery of Nevada.
At the time of writing, we are awaiting the final contract proposal from our contractor which will include the final cost estimate in detail. Once that arrives (hopefully by the end of the first week of March) the Session, through its commissions and building committee, will review the contract and make any necessary amendments to ready it for final approval. Once it is approved by the Session this contract will be presented to the congregation at a called meeting.
Future steps: the building committee is working on hiring a project director to coordinate the physical construction of our building. This is important to ensure that our contractor keeps the project on track and within our budget.
February 2024
Our plans for the building have all been submitted to the county for approval and permits. This is a long process; however, we are moving as quickly as possible. We have received suggestions from the county regarding the structural review portion of our plans and are working with our engineers and architects to address them. Our civil engineering plans have been reviewed after we resubmitted due to the drainage issue. Indications are they are complete and moving forward.
Regarding the property on Durango, we have applied for the necessary easements and that process is moving smoothly through the county approval process. Additionally, the water district reviews are complete and we are in the process of signing contracts with them.
Our contractors have sent us a draft of the final contract. Our contract subcommittee is reviewing it before submitting it to the session and congregation for final approval.
The building committee is now working on hiring a project director to coordinate the physical construction of our building. This will be important once we have a contract with a contractor to keep the project on track, eliminating an unreasonable learning curve for our volunteer building committee, session, and staff.
Future building updates will be posted on our website and made available at our worship services.