The Catholic Community of St. Thomas More New Building Committee

STM Vision Statement -- Element #3… As a welcoming community, we provide our members with the environment that supports our mission of prayer, celebration, formation and service.”

STM Master Plan The “environment” in the STM Vision Statement is both spiritual and physical. In February 1996, a Master Plan was developed to address the physical dimension -- the future facility needs of our growing community.

STM Master Plan: Phase I In order to bring the growing parish community closer together with the active school community, a plan was developed and approved to construct a new worship space, gathering place, office and Upper School, on the present STM School site.

In December 1998, we dedicated our new Church and Upper School

Master Plan: Phase II Phase II of the 1996 Master Plan called for building a multi-purpose facility to serve as a gathering space, parish offices, kitchen and church support, and to identify other needs – including a chapel, upper school expansion and a new school gymnasium.

Phase II – continued… In Winter of 2001, a parish survey completed by 373 parish families found the majority of families believed the next project should be a “multi-purpose / social hall facility with kitchen and flexible meeting space.” In November 2003, Fr. Durbin convened a Building Committee.

New Building Committee Organization There are six New Building Plan Sub-Committees –Executive Steering Committee –Requirements –Communications –Construction / Design / Architecture –Finance –Capital Campaign

Phase II -- continued Beginning in February 2004, the Committee has met monthly was set as the target date for completing Phase II. In April-May 2004, the Finance Council developed a plan to lower the existing mortgage before securing more funds. It was approved by the Pastoral Council and Fr. Durbin.

Phase II -- continued In May, the Diocese of Raleigh provided preliminary approval of the Phase II project; and a plan was developed to obtain input from all parishioners. In June, committee members visited other parishes to see multi-purpose facilities and gain insights about their experiences in constructing them.

Phase II -- continued In June and July, individual surveys were made available to all parishioners, school parents, the staff and Ministry leaders to obtain input and identify priorities. Survey forms were distributed at all Masses, inserted in STM and School Bulletins, and mailed.

Phase II -- continued In August and September, completed surveys were analyzed. These included: –428 Individual Parishioner/School Parent Surveys –19 Staff In-Depth Surveys –49 Surveys: Ministry Leaders [60 Ministries] –9 Interviews of Parish Leaders – priests, administrator, school principal, pastoral council chair, school board chairs, and the maintenance director

Summary of Results In describing what you told us, the survey was constructed to reflect the next two phases of the Master Plan: –Needs for a Multi-Purpose Building, and –Other Community needs

Findings: Multi-Purpose Building Top priorities are: –Large hall / social gathering place –More meeting rooms and classrooms –Lots of secure storage space –STM offices

Findings: Other Needs Other needs you want addressed are: –School addition to replace art and music trailers –Music rehearsal room –Gymnasium –Larger library –Nursery –More Parking –Athletic Field –Improved kitchen facilities –Outdoor Stations of the Cross –Columbarium

Key Findings: Staff Interviews Offices –Current STM offices in former convent converted to temporary offices; Sisters of St. Joseph moved to separate housing. –Offices not functional, have not been upgraded because they are temporary. Significant cost required to make them functional, meet future parish needs as well as Town codes. –Phase One initially included plans for an administrative building. This was modified to reprioritize Upper School addition.

Staff Interviews – [Offices] continued Master Plan was revised to move offices to the new Multi-Purpose Building. Existing building would be razed to make room for a new gymnasium, so that construction would meet Town of Chapel Hill regulations.

Staff Interviews -- continued Art and Music Trailers –STM School acquired trailers as temporary solution for space needed for art and music instruction. Art trailers in use over 25 years; music trailers for 15 years. –Art trailer judged to be un-maintainable. –Need to replace these; not cost productive to repair them, or replace with other trailers. –Want and need classroom space.

Since then… In November of 2004, sub-committees began defining space and facility needs. In December, preliminary report from the Requirements Sub- Committee was provided to the Construction / Architecture / Design Sub-Committee. They collaborated to get specifics of what we asked an architect to design. Prospective architects were identified; one selected. We are continuing progress on our work. Capital campaign sub-committee planning fund-raising efforts. Meeting with Diocese regarding availability of financial support.

We will continue to inform the Catholic Community of St. Thomas More of our progress