Building Renovation

As we entered 2009, we began with new progress toward our renovation. Land was being graded, utilities were moved, and heavy equipment could be seen working in all corners of the property. Part of the parking lot was fenced off to provide a place for preschool children to play when the playground was removed temporarily.

In March2009, many congregants commented on the surprise of seeing the site cleared. Every tree that is going to come down has been taken down. Towards the end of the project, we will plant over 50 new trees in the parking area and in front of the new addition. More trees will be planted in the back, too. You can rest assured, the site will be beautiful again.

On the Sanctuary side, there is a significant slope away from the building, and we are building a retaining wall to allow us to raise the ground level so our addition can be built. The wall is already over 10 feet high. It will be 17 feet high at the highest point—visible from the creek, not the synagogue. From the synagogue, we will only see the top of the wall. Weather permitting, it should be complete in early April.

Photos of our progress are below.

March 2010

As Phase I nears completion, everyone who has seen the interior is excited by the beautiful space that will give us room to gather and celebrate together, from Shabbat kiddush to simchas.

December 2009

One year later, we are excited with our progress--we're now under a roof and work progresses on the new social hall and kitchen (below).

Our new kitchen.	The social hall interior.

October 2009

The hallway leading from the social hall to the sanctuary is temporarily blocked off. Handicap access to the sanctuary will be through the office entrance until the new hallway is complete. The temporary wall at the back corner of the sanctuary is to allow work on the new entrance.

Back of the new social hall.	Side view of the learning center and rabbinical suite.	The new entrance.

August 2009

In July, we watched through the sanctuary windows as the second floor of the addition took shape. It will house the lobby, Judaica Shop, Rabbis’ offices and library/learning center. Beside the sanctuary, the new social hall began to emerge. And in the space once occupied by the little house and its grounds—parking spaces at last!

July 2009

The photos below show construction of the second floor, which will have the lobby, Judaica Shop, Rabbis' offices and library/learning center. Below is the kitchen.

	Mike, our Scott Long supervisor.

June 2009

A View of What's To Come

Watch a 1-minute video below of the architect's rendering of our new entrance to the sanctuary and social hall (requires Adobe Flash Player).

The "Little House" comes down

By the end of February 2009, all remnants of the "little house," the original site of Congregation Olam Tikvah and later home to some of our caretakers, had been removed. Trees have been torn down where necessary, and our lot sports interesting equipment and piles of dirt and rocks as evidence of our progress.

Construction begins with grading land

On January 5, 2009, we received the green light to begin clearing and grading our site.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are we actually building?

We are building beautiful new additions to enhance many aspects of our life at Olam Tikvah. They will include a new 5,000- square-foot social hall with 20-foot ceilings. Off the social hall will be a new, two-story lobby and a terrace facing the woods. We are also building a new, larger kitchen and a new gift shop. Additionally, we will add a Rabbinic suite with a learning center. Finally, we will add new bathrooms on both levels, an elevator and an expanded parking lot.

What will happen to the existing social halls?

Once the new space is compete and we have occupancy, the existing social halls and kitchen will be renovated into modern classroom space to provide a superior learning experience for our children.

When will the construction be complete?

The schedule calls for a 19-month duration from the beginning of construction. Construction projects are notoriously prone to delays, regardless of the quality of the architect and general contractor. That said, because construction began in December 2008, the current anticipated completion date is July 2010.

How is the construction phased?

The new spaces will be completed first. Once we have use of the new spaces, the renovation of the old spaces will begin. The plan is that we will have use of the existing kitchen and social halls until the new ones are ready.

Exactly what will happen first? Next?

The first elements are the installation of erosion controls— fences built to keep soil from eroding—and completion of moving the utilities from the south side to the north side of the building. Some of the utilities work was done over the past year—the electric and phone, for example. But the gas and water could not be done until we had our building permit. So they were moved in December and early January. Site clearing happens next. This includes clearing the area of the new construction as well as the area for additions to the parking lot. Fairly early on (likely in February), we should see the “little house” demolished. On the building site, once the trees are cleared, the main focus will be constructing two retaining walls. These walls will take about a month to build. On the house site, the new parking spaces will be built early. They will have rough paving first; the final paving will wait until the end of the project.

Can I hold my Bar/Bat Mitzvah/Wedding/Event at the synagogue?

Yes! The two existing social halls and the existing kitchen will be available until after we have moved into the new social hall and kitchen.

When can I plan to use the new social hall and kitchen?

It’s still too soon to know for sure. Many factors could delay the project—winter weather is one factor; delivery of critical materials, such as structural steel, is another. The schedule becomes increasingly predictable as the project progresses. Two key milestones to watch for are 1) the footers and concrete pad being completed and 2) the new space being under roof. With each of these events, the time to completion becomes more predictable.