Planning for the Capital Campaign began in spring 2021 by Rev. Nancy Palmer Jones and Jim Rumbaugh. The Capital Campaign team and our consultant Kay Crider met in 2022 with church leadership, staff, volunteers, and others who use our building to envision the revitalization and renewal of our beloved physical space. We are excited to present this list of the most substantial items.

We raised sufficient funds to complete all of the promised items (except air conditioning, which is far too expensive).

Here is the status of construction on these projects as of March 2025:

Inclusion Begins with Safety and Comfort

• Replace the worn carpet in the sanctuary. Of course, the labyrinth will still be at the center! Carpet ordered, installation of labyrinth and carpet expected summer 2025. We will also replace all other carpets on the main floor and balcony, including Fireside Room, all the stairways, and the elevator. 
• Add a security system that will prevent intrusions into and around the building and improve safety for our staff, Third Street Community Center staff, and the children they serve. Installed new fencing around the entire building, including new fences to the side spaces, and in many cases raising their height. We also fenced the water supply and garbage bins.
• Renovate the main floor bathroom for water conservation and greater comfort by installing a more water-efficient toilet, a baby-changing station, and upgraded cabinets. We are working with an interior designer to produce plans for the renovation of both the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms and public spaces. Installation expected summer 2025. Will include new wall coverings, new fixtures in the upstairs bathroom, new cabinets and counters, improved lighting, and baby-changing stations in each of the 3 rooms.
• Replace worn-out flooring in the back hallway. We are replacing all the hard flooring with new vinyl flooring, including the narthex, library, back entrance hall, and upstairs kitchen. The colors of the carpeting and hard flooring will coordinate for better appearance. Installation of carpeting and hard flooring expected summer 2025. 

Save Our Space

• Protect and preserve our church home by replacing the leaking roof and the inadequate gutter system. Roof tiles have blown off resulting in leaks that have already damaged ceilings and interior walls. The roof project is overdue. Roof has been replaced with 50-year shingles, class-A fire rating. They also replaced the gutters with attractive new gutters. All the flashing has been replaced, including new flashing around the belfry, and flashing has been added to window sills exposed to the weather.
• Protect and preserve our beautiful stained-glass windows–a major feature of our historic church–by repairing wood rot in the frames of the windows. At the same time we will repair extensive rot under the roof eaves and around our steeple and dome. The rotted and damaged woodwork has been replaced by our contractor experienced with historic buildings. The stained-glass windows have been removed and reset in their metal supports as needed.
• Improve our welcome to visitors and help protect our main entrance by restoring the historic front doors. Our restorer can keep the look that goes with our landmark building but make them beautiful and functional again, at a price comparable to replacing them. The front doors have been repaired and repainted. We are adding an awning over the main side door to protect visitors during a downpour.
• Preserve the integrity of our historic structure by painting the exterior, which has not been done in 40 years or more–not even after The Fire. Since scaffolding is a large portion of the cost for the roof and the window work, painting the walls while we have the scaffolding in place is an essential fiscal decision. The entire exterior of the building has been repainted with brighter colors, with attention to accent details on the front facade for a snappier appearance, but in accord with records of buildings from the late 19th Century.
• Repair damage to the chancel caused by previous leaks in the roof. This work will be completed with the other interior work in summer 2025.
• The worn-out boiler on the roof has been replaced during the roof repair. Replacing it during the roof repair reduced the cost.

21st Century Church and Community Hub

• Create dynamic, 21st century worship services with a modern audio/visual system. Displaying videos, images, text, and lyrics, as we have done during Zoom services, will fully engage all those who attend, whether in person or virtually. Multi-platform services, which the UUA confirms are here to stay, will help us expand our reach and allow people at home–wherever they live–to be a vital part of worship. Improved microphones, speakers, and audio assistance devices will enhance accessibility for those with hearing challenges. Modern AV capabilities will make our space more attractive to community groups and renters. A permanent screen and built-in cabling will reduce the work by our outstanding tech crew. We are planning to upgrade the AV system with a second camera and 2 LED video screens. This will greatly improve visibility. We will also route the cabling in the balcony through hidden conduits when the carpet is replaced. New assistive listening devices have been ordered to help attendees with hearing problems.
• Enable more comfortable, flexible seating arrangements for everyone by replacing the sanctuary seating with individual upholstered chairs, including some designed for those with differing physical needs. New ergonomic chairs will eliminate the maintenance challenge of the antique wooden theater-style seating while allowing us to continue the semi-circular arrangement of seating for worship and giving renters more options. New movable upholstered chairs have been ordered. They can be connected in curved arcs or straight lines. They have book holders underneath accessible from the front. They will be added when the carpet is replaced in summer 2025.
• Refurbish the youth room, including removing the damaged furniture and rugs, repairing and repainting the walls, installing new carpeting, and obtaining durable, functional furniture. The new youth room is much more attractive, and will help us in renting the church for weddings and other events by providing an attractive space.

Costs

We have completed the exterior repairs at a cost below the original bid, due to the diligence of our contractor . We we have enough money to complete the promised interior repairs with a sufficient reserve to cover overruns or allow for additional projects or future repairs.