Building or Renovating

In The Diocese Of Springfield - Cape Girardeau

No two building projects are quite the same. However, the process described below is typical.

1. Parish Council and pastor determine that a building or renovation is required to meet the needs currently not being met or met poorly by the parish.

2. Pastor writes to the Bishop explaining needs, asking permission to begin a building or renovation planning process.

3. Building Committee (BC) (7-12 members) is selected and authorized to develop a written program of needs based on information solicited from all parish groups or individuals. One of the first meetings should be with the diocesan Director of Properties.

4. BC develops a broad idea of what type of building/renovation best meets the needs of the parish.

5. Pastor asks permission of the Bishop to hire an architect. Upon receiving permission, BC and pastor interview and hire an architect. BC should also decide whether it will use a construction management or a general contractor method to build.

6. Architect and BC develop preliminary plans for building that best satisfies the program of needs and submits it to necessary groups for review, comments and approval. (May be repeated more than once.) (May also choose to involve diocese informally at this point if unusual circumstances exist. E.g. second floors or basements)

7. Once parish decides on its preliminary design, BC has architect forward three copies of preliminary site plan, floor plan and elevations to Diocesan Office of Properties for review. Besides the architect and engineer used by the diocese as consultants the plans may be reviewed by one or more offices as appropriate. (Worship - School Superintendent - Religious Education.)

8. Diocese returns comments/suggestions/questions to BC for review and response by the appropriate committee(s) and the architect. Architect and building committee normally make changes to the plans and re-submit 3 copies to the Diocese. (Repeated if needed.)

9. Upon receiving diocesan approval of the final preliminary plans, the architect enters the design development phase. Communication with the Office of Properties during this period often allows for seamless movement into preparation of the construction and bid documents and specifications.

10. During this planning period, as the estimates of the project's total cost (including architect's fees and cost of borrowing) become more defined, the pastor and finance committee determine how the building will be paid for. This usually involves meeting(s) with the Diocesan Director of Finance to determine the amount of the loan and the parish's ability to repay over a period of time. If a capital campaign is indicated, permission is requested from the bishop and a capital campaign organized.

11. When the construction documents and specifications are finished, they are submitted to

the Diocese for a final review.

12. Once the review is finished and all outstanding issues resolved, a date is set for a meeting with the Bishop and appropriate diocesan personnel for final review and approval of plans and financing. The pastor, the architect of record, and members of the parish building committee that are able to do so usually attend this meeting.

 

OTHER INFORMATION AND CONSIDERATIONS

Except for the first three, the following items are not "cast in concrete." They may be used as guides during your planning process. Generally speaking, however, a parish would need to provide sound reasons for choosing a different course of action.

 

  1. The diocese functions under Missouri state law as a corporation. Accordingly, contracts must be signed by an officer of the corporation (usually the Bishop) to be legally binding.
  2. Missouri law requires that an architect and/or engineer, licensed in Missouri, design plans for buildings used by the public. Plans must be signed and dated.
  3. Contracts with the architect and the contractors must be approved and handled through the diocese. The diocese has an addendum for both the AIA (architect's) and the contractor's contracts. Change orders must also be approved and signed by the Bishop.
  4. National building codes, usually BOCA, are followed if no building regulations are in place locally.
  5. Americans' with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations are generally followed.
  6. The parish chooses its own architect. The diocese can provide you with names of architects that other parishes have used in the past.
  7. One story buildings are preferable to multi-story buildings.
  8. Once the construction starts, the parish should appoint one person willing to serve as the point of contact between contractor, architect, pastor, and diocese. This can be the pastor but it can also be someone familiar enough with construction and the project to know when he/she can make a decision and when the decision needs to be referred elsewhere.
  9. The parish must have fifty percent of the estimated cost of the project on hand in cash and on deposit with the Diocese and an approved plan in place for repaying the loan. The diocese is the only source for a loan.
  10. Parishioners who are contractors or in the building trades should meet the same qualification criteria as other contractors who would be invited to bid on the parish building project.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Understand the dynamics of change. Change is not easy for most, extremely difficult for some, threatening for a few. Be pastoral. Take the time to help everyone deal with the changes in understanding and thinking that will accompany a building process.

Progress is impossible if you always do things the way you have always done things. As long as you are willing to stay only with the familiar and not take risks, find new things out, it is by definition impossible to grow, to have progress, or anything else.

Paraphrased from: How to Be a No-Limit Person
By Dr. Wayne Dyer

2. Build consensus. A parish community is not the U.S. Congress. It is a community of Christians discerning the will of God as spoken through the collective wisdom of the community. Developing this collective wisdom is called consensus building and is much to be preferred over the typical "majority rules" vote(s) we may be accustomed to. A consensus decision for a course of action may take much deliberation if the community is initially divided. Applying the following principles is important:

A. Respect others and their opinions at all times. Maintaining this atmosphere will allow open discussion in an atmosphere of mutual respect based on a desire to understand the meaning and the feeling of the issues discussed.

B. Educate yourselves and others. Learn all you can about the parish needs (educational, social, or liturgical) and how you can best meet them.

C. Consider all the options. Carefully. Thoughtfully. Respectfully. But be aware that this is a fertile ground for rumors and misinformation to breed.

D. Communicate! Often. At all levels. From the beginning. Consider using a newsletter rather than depending on the church bulletin. People need facts to combat the rumor mill that is started during the option consideration process.

3. Cultivate the virtue of patience. The planning and building process will take longer than you want it to.

4. Don't worry about the cost during the early stages. It will hinder your ability to dream the big dreams necessary to meet your parish's needs.

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Development and Properties