New York Avenue Presbyterian Church Vision 2020 Preliminary Capital Fund Appeal Renovation Priorities Dialogue Sessions Sunday, June 21 & Sunday, June 28 Following the Worship Service Please return the enclosed survey form by July 2. Thank You!
Dear Members of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, Greetings to you in Christ! The Apostle Paul described the church as a "treasure in earthen vessels, (II Cor. 4.7) and "earthen" includes our physical bodies as well as our church facility. Paul is referring to the Gospel of Christ entrusted to us vibrant yet frail people. And just as we need to take care of our own bodies, God also calls us to attend to our church building, which currently is suffering from deferred maintenance. Our church building where the people of God come to worship, study the Bible, engage in fellowship, provide food for the homeless, support those who suffer from mental illness, tutor students of varied ages, and rally for justice needs our attention now if we are to effectively continue to house and give shelter for these ministries as NYAPC has over the past 215 years. In countless discussions in our church community over the past two years, much thought and prayer has been devoted to discerning how our ministry might be enhanced by improvements to our physical plant; throughout, the focus has remained on mission, not aesthetics. Included with this letter is a brochure outlining current needs of our church building as determined by a task force commissioned by the church elders and trustees. We wish to stress that these enclosed building plans are aspirational in nature and present design options that can be adjusted based on congregational support. There is much that needs to be considered before any plans are finalized, and affordability is a prime consideration. To that end, this brochure also provides information about a proposed Capital Fund Appeal. Because your input is essential, we will have dialogue sessions about these matters on Sunday, June 21 and 28 after our 10 a.m. worship service. We strongly encourage you to attend. Information from the planning groups will be shared, but more importantly, this will be a time for us and the lay leadership to listen to you. Your input will help the parish leadership to determine the support for the proposed plans and the willingness among our members and friends to support a Capital Appeal. Please plan on attending one of these sessions. At this stage in our planning, it is important that we hear from you in as many ways as possible. Thus we are also enclosing a survey to get your feedback. You can drop off the survey when you come to church or mail it to the church office. You can also quickly respond to the survey on-line by going to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/nyapc-survey. Again, we want to emphasize that as we move forward, our goal is to support and enhance our ability to be about the work and ministries to which God has called us together. We are grateful for you, and we are eager for your feedback! Sincerely, Rev. Roger Gench Rev. Alice Tewell -2- Rev. Linda Lader
Completed Renovation Priorities Priority 1 - Exterior Renovation - $1.1 million These improvements were completed in the Fall of 2014 and included: Cleaning and tuckpointing masonry and limestone. Replacement and updating all exterior lighting. Installation of new energy efficient clear glass exterior windows. Refinishing all exterior doors and woodwork. Lead paint abatement. Replacement of ground level railings. Regilding the finial, crosses, clock faces and wreaths on the clock tower and steeple. Priority 2 - Heating and Air-Conditioning Improvements $800,000 This work is underway and completion is expected by the end of June. The main improvements will be HVAC improvements on the fifth floor and replacement of one of the inefficient and non-functioning boilers in the basement with new high efficiency boilers. These improvements also include: Replacement of the HVAC system with a high efficiency system that can be adjusted by room and turned on and off as needed. Repainting of most of the public spaces on the fifth floor because of wall damage and repair incurred during the installation of the new HVAC system. Note: Due to the high cost estimates associated with replacing the entire HVAC system on all floors in the church, HVAC improvements from the fourth floor to the Park Level have been deferred until sufficient funds can be raised to move forward on that project phase. Proposed Renovation Projects Since January of this year, the Trustees have been working with Cox Graae and Spack Architects to develop a long-term Master Plan that will direct future building improvements and help guide the next set of potential renovation priorities. Using their recommendations, the congregational survey, and feedback from a small group of committee team members, the Trustees have compiled a list of possible projects with costs ranges, which follows: Priority 3 - Bathroom Refurbishing - $350,000 to $480,000 Improving all bathrooms throughout the building with new fixtures, furnishings, tile, paint and cosmetic upgrades. Possible installation of a shower on one of the floors. -3-
Priority 4 - Finishes - $1,000,000 to $1,600,000 (depending on the extent and scope of work) Restore finishes throughout the building including: Paint all rooms and stairwells. Update carpeting where needed. Replace flooring as necessary. Replace or upgrade light fixtures, as needed. Replace all doors in the stairwells to improve flow. Upgrade millwork, replace damaged/dented interior doors, and upgrade select building finishes. Priority 5 - Second/Third Floor Room Changes $400,000 to $500,000 On the second floor outside of the sanctuary create an open gathering space where Pastor Alice s office is located and a new meeting space or green room is created where Pastor Roger s office suite is currently located. Reconfigure space so that the Diaconal Ministry continues from the second floor in space more suited to their needs. On the third floor, relocate Pastor s and Minister of Music s offices into an office suite located on the H Street side of the building. Priority 6 - Peter Marshall Hall Improvements $175,000 to $300,000 Shift the entrance to Peter Marshall Hall so that it becomes one central entrance opposite the elevators (moving the storage closets to the sides). Install room dividers (much like in large hotel ballrooms) so that PMH can be subdivided into smaller break-out meeting rooms that can be used by the McClendon Center and others. Priority 7 - Radcliffe Room and First Floor Improvements $400,000 to $550,000 Remodel the first floor to include: Refurbish Radcliffe Room including acoustic solutions and technology upgrades to make it an attractive rental space to outside groups. Move the pantry to the H Street office adjacent to the Radcliffe Room and reconfiguring the connection between Lincoln Parlor and John Quincy Adams Room, allowing them to be used together for receptions, meetings, or rental space for events. Expand the coat closet and relocate the NYAPC Archives. -4-
Priority 8 - Upgraded Wi-Fi - $100,000 to $200,000 Wire the entire building for Wi-Fi and upgraded technology. Priority 9 - Complete HVAC improvements throughout the Church - $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 Complete the installation of a new HVAC system on the Park Level, and first through fourth floors. Capital Fund Appeal The Session has approved a Capital Fund Appeal to be conducted this fall in conjunction with our 2016 Annual Stewardship Appeal. We have engaged The James Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (TJC) to assist us in this process. The James Company has worked with 1600 congregations in the past 30 years, helping them raise over $1 billion. Bob Connolly, the owner of TJC, has deep connections to Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) of which NYAPC is a member. The possible renovation priorities amount to more money than NYAPC has historically raised in three year Capital Fund Appeals. After the Capital Fund Appeal, the Trustees and the Session will determine a financing strategy and the final priorities for the renovation projects. The financing plan may include one or more of these variables: A. B. C. D. Capital Appeal results Use of church reserves Short/long term borrowing Delaying some of the renovation priorities The more that we can raise in a Capital Fund Appeal, the less some of these other variables might be a factor in future financing decisions. -5-
Next Steps Members return surveys by July 2. Bob Connolly from The James Company does financial assessment of Capital Fund Appeal goal range. Trustees and Session evaluate Renovation Priorities based on Survey feedback. Conduct Capital Fund Appeal in Fall 2015. Based on results of Appeal and further assessment of a financing plan, Trustees, Session and Congregation determine final renovation plans. -6-
Your Input is Important Please share your comments and suggestions. Your feedback is important to us as we prepare for the steps ahead. You can drop off your response in the return box in the Narthex as you arrive for worship or return to the church office. You can also fill out the survey online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/nyapc-survey. Please respond by July 2. 1. List the things you like best about the proposed renovation plans. 2. Provide any questions, suggestions or concerns you have regarding the proposed plans. 3. I/we would support a Capital Fund Appeal to fund the proposed projects. Yes No Uncertain Comments: Please print your name(s): -7-
New York Avenue Presbyterian Church Invitation to Dialogue Sessions regarding Preliminary Capital Fund Appeal Renovation Priorities Important time dated material enclosed. Please read and respond with your survey. Thank you. New York Avenue Presbyterian Church 1313 New York Avenue NW Washington, DC 20005