On May 10, 1869 a prodigious undertaking of our country was completed—the first transcontinental railroad linking the east and west coasts. The Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad had been constructed to “meet in the middle,” and as the completion of the two railroads neared, a golden ceremonial spike was delivered to the site to be the last spike driven that would complete the epic project.

Three years ago the Trustees were tasked with the responsibility of formulating a Master Plan for the renovation of the church building and grounds that would provide for the following: Construction of a Memorial Garden Improved/Additional Parking Improved Handicapped Access Replacement of Trees/Landscaping Misc. Building Renovations (like a new roof on the sanctuary in 2018, a handicapped bathroom on the sanctuary level, other repairs/renovations as funds allow)

And now it is my great pleasure to tell you that... The “Golden Spike” has already been delivered... We are almost to the point where the construction of our work will soon be seen around us in this historic place!

What will all this look like? A Memorial Garden will be constructed on the south side of the church as one of the first things to happen!

What will all this look like? Additional Parking Spaces will be constructed in several areas around the church grounds (new/expanded parking areas are circled in green in the image below)

What will all this look like? Improved Handicapped Accessibility to the Sanctuary and other areas of the church. Not only will you be able to park near this door in a new parking lot, but you will also be able to walk into a wider door that will provide a level entry with the new surface of the lot! A new covered porch will also be located at this entrance to allow drop- off of folks with limited mobility in the event of unfavorable weather.

What will all this look like? New Landscaping and Trees will also be an integral part of the improvement of the grounds and parking on both the north side and the south side of the church! Great care is being taken to make sure that we keep the grounds of the church as green as possible. Though we are adding some pavement, we are also adding a great deal of new landscaping and plantings.

What has changed with the plans since the last time I saw a presentation on this? After decades of prayer and fasting by members of our church, The City of Asheville’s construction supervisor approached us to let us know that they would be replacing the sidewalk and curbing along Kimberly Ave. to Beaverdam Rd. The also told us that they would be expanding it to be a 5’ wide sidewalk throughout our property and that it would be completely free of charge to the church! We informed them of our impending plans to construct a driveway entrance along Kimberly to a new parking lot and they told us that they would even pour the driveway curbing cutouts for us free of charge! New Free Sidewalks Courtesy of the City! 5’ Wide Instead of 3.5’

Did you ask if they wanted to give us anything else for free? In fact, yes, we did... We said that we would love to be able to get some better parking along Kimberly Ave. since they would be ripping up the sidewalk and we had plans to cut into the bank there to allow for 18 reverse- angled parking spaces from Beaverdam Rd. to the north edge of the Educational Building... And they said they would do that for us and all we would have to pay for is the asphalt paving strip (about $10,000)! We asked how many years this would take and they told us they have construction scheduled to be done by the end of May, 2016! The Building Committee has been working at a frantic pace since word of this to make this happen!

Can there possibly be any more good news? Yes... not only is the City of Asheville covering a significant portion of the costs of our projects, but the Building Committee has also been in almost constant communication with Siteworks Studios to refine our plans for the Memorial Garden and the various parking and landscaping elements. We have been listening to the opinions, concerns, and ideas of the congregation since first embarking on this project, and we have changed some portions of our plans in response to the feedback we’ve received. And we’ve been able to reduce the original numbers for Phases 1 and 2 by almost 50% from recent cost estimates!

So what does all this mean? Construction will be starting soon! The Trustees will be presenting a more detailed plan to the Church Council tonight at 7:00 pm to solidify plans to move forward. All are invited to attend, even if you are not a Church Council member! The plan will be a HUGE improvement, but it will not include everything that everybody would like. However, it will address the main issues raised three years ago and it will be a substantial improvement in all the areas. The Trustees plan also keeps the project in line with the original budget projection of around $300,000.

So how would these new developments change things from what was originally presented to us back in April? Most Recent 3 Phase Plan from April 2016: Phase I (completion in 2016) Cost estimate: approx. $180,000 To include: South Side Parking Improvements/Through Driveway Memorial Garden New Landscaping Phase II (completion in 2017) Cost estimate: approx. $60,000-80,000 To inlcude: North Side Parking Improvements New Landscaping Phase III (completion in 2018) Cost estimate: approx. $100,000 (or remaining funds) To include: New Roof on Sanctuary New Handicapped Bathroom on Sanctuary Level Fellowship Hall/Kitchen Improvements (as remaining $ would allow)

So how would these new developments change things from what was originally presented to us back in April? Newest 2-Phase Proposal: (Combines Phases I and II) Phase I (completion in 2016) Cost estimate: approx. $200,000 To include: Memorial Garden South Side Parking Improvements (Handicapped Access to Sanctuary) New Covered Entryway (at Choir Room Door) North Side Parking Improvements New Landscaping on North Side and South Side Phase II (completion in 2018) Cost estimate: approx. $100,000 (or remaining funds) To include: New Roof on Sanctuary New Handicapped Bathroom on Sanctuary Level Fellowship Hall/Kitchen Improvements (as remaining $ would allow)

What can I do to help Prepare Ye the Way? Make your pledge/gift today! There’s still time. We need your help to reach our $300,000 goal! Contact a member of the Capital Campaign Committee for more details about making your gift or pledge. Let a Church Council Member know you support this plan and want to see it a reality ASAP! Offer your assistance and feedback to a member of the Trustees or the Building Committee. Together we will make this happen so that we can all be better prepared to minister to the needs of the future here in this historic place!