Construction Announcements and Videos

We have created this space on our website to share updates regarding Kol Rinah’s exciting transitions. This will include: Archives of our meetings, facilities committee correspondence and resolutions.

Rabbi Arnow speaking at the Ground Breaking 8/19/18

October 31, 2018

It’s hard to believe how many moving parts there are to get this building off the ground – or in the ground:

• Clayton has issued the Building Permit for our Maryland Avenue project. Full construction on-site is now authorized and will begin immediately.

• The construction fence is ready to go up, and the foundation of the new sanctuary will begin to take shape within the next month.

• Hazardous materials abatement in the existing building is substantially complete, and the space is prepped for interior construction.

• The existing building systems are being prepared for the winter, so interior construction can occur in a comfortable environment.

• A donor has generously designated funds for the Small Chapel, allowing us to relocate the Small Chapel stained glass from Hanley Road to the Maryland Avenue building, when the interior space is prepped and ready for the installation. There are enough remaining funds from this money to cover the construction of the built-in Ark in this wall. The Facilities Committee and the Design Team are determining the specifics of these details over the next month.

• A relationship with the Jewish Federation continues to be explored, as they look to have a presence in Clayton, and potentially to have a space in our building. The details of this relationship are currently being worked out by Kol Rinah leadership and the Facilities Committee.

There are literally hundreds of decisions being made every week by the Design Team, our Construction Manager, the Facilities Committee and Kol Rinah Leadership. The Facilities Committee is keeping the Kol Rinah Board as informed as possible.  The above are simply the highlights of all the amazing work that is happening to make Kol Rinah’s future home a reality.

More information will be forthcoming as progress is made.  www.kolrinahstl.org/on-the-move/

“A MOVING STORY;” A SCHANKMAN’S ST. LOUIS SPECIAL REPORT

A St. Louis church and a St. Louis synagogue are now living under one roof, as part of a plan to eventually swap buildings. But in the meantime, since they are already sharing a building, the decided to also try sharing a bit of each other’s worlds.
For the past year, Paul Schankman has been documenting this unusual “mixed marriage,” filming the happy moments, as well as a few that were emotionally challenging. What started as a simple real estate transaction, has become a powerful example of how people of all backgrounds and beliefs can find common ground and understanding if they try hard enough.

This is the first of periodic updates on the progress of the Maryland Avenue building.  As of October 17, 2018:

• The asbestos abatement in the existing buildings has been completed.
• The contractor is following up daily regarding issuance of the City of Clayton building permit.
• When the building permit is issued, the contractor will remove trees that are in the footprint of the new building.
• Then the construction fence will go up.  The construction fence will be partially made of wood, similar to a privacy fence (per Clayton’s requirements), and partially made of fabric (allowing us to save some money).  The construction fence will include a graphic rendering of the new building.
• Excavation for the new sanctuary will begin and the foundation will be poured.

Before the construction fence goes up, you are encouraged to drive by the new building site at Maryland Avenue and Hanley Road to see the flags delineating the new sanctuary.

More information will be forthcoming as progress is made. www.kolrinahstl.org/on-the-move/

Design of New Kol Rinah Building Wins Award 

from American Institute of Architecture 

For Immediate Release – OCTOBER 5, 2018, ST. LOUIS:

Kol Rinah is proud to announce that the American Institute of Architecture, St. Louis Chapter, presented its architecture firm, Patterhn Ives LLC, an award for the design of Kol Rinah’s new Maryland Ave. building in Clayton.   The awards are given for excellence in design, and recipients are recognized as responsible for lasting contributions to the St. Louis region, its architecture, and future generations of designers.

The Kol Rinah design was one of five projects for which Patterhn Ives received recognition at the annual Design Awards event held at the Kranzberg Arts Foundation on September 27.   Entries were reviewed for a range of categories, and winners selected by a prestigious jury including Kim Yao of Architecture Research Office (ARO), Annabelle Selldorf of Selldorf Architects, and Andrew Bernheimer of Bernheimer Architecture.

The Kol Rinah design is described by its architects as a new limestone structure containing a sanctuary with entry positioned within an urban garden bounded by a canopy of mature trees. Delicately linked to a pair of existing buildings, the addition completes the new home for Kol Rinah. The synagogue sanctuary fosters a dynamic, forward-looking space for a diverse Jewish faith community around Gathering, Learning, and Prayer.

For further information, please see the Kol Rinah web site www.KolRinahStL.org. or contact the Kol Rinah office, (314) 727-1747 or office@kolrinahstl.org.

Kol Rinah, led by Rabbi Noah Arnow and Rabbi Scott Shafrin, Randi Mozenter, President, and is a member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and is currently located at 829 North Hanley Road in University City.

KOL RINAH MARYLAND AVENUE PROJECT
LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

COMPLETED TO DATE

• Kol Rinah Board of Directors approves Motion to remain at University City property for no more than 5 years February 14, 2013
• Demographic Study to identify an ideal location of a new property
• Real Estate Search for property
• Identify Potential Property; Opportunity presents itself for “land swap” with property owner at the corner of Hanley, Linden and Maryland.
• Complete Sale of Existing Real Estate Assets to cover costs of purchasing a new property and pay off existing loan debt
• Enter into Real Estate Contract for New Property with conditions for closing
• Hire Architects to Produce Feasible Design that can be approved by Clayton, as condition of Real Estate Contract
• Hired Construction Manager to determine construction costs
• Clayton approves potential design
• Board approves Journey building purchase
• Hire Architects for Schematic Design of Building (rough drawings)
• Construction Manager refines Cost Opinion based on Schematic Design
• Board approves existing design and authorizes more detailed work
• Board approves the cost of removing hazardous materials on Maryland property
• Architects refine Design and produce Design Development Documents
• Construction Manager further refines Cost Opinion based on Design Development
• Board approves all current work, authorizes detailed construction documents
• Bid documents completed and released to contractors for bidding
• Competitive Bids received and verified
• Construction Manager chosen
• Determine “phased” strategy to save money and start building
• Architects present a two-phase plan for the addition (Phase 1, Core and Shell) and occupation of Maryland Avenue building (Phase 2).
• Construction Manager presents Value Engineered Guaranteed Maximum Price of Phase 1 to Kol Rinah Board of Directors
• Construction Manager presents a “guaranteed not to exceed price” for Phase 1.
• Board approves Phase 1 (Core and Shell) plans and cost.
• Begin removing hazardous materials
• Ceremonial Groundbreaking at Maryland Avenue

STEPS MOVING FORWARD

1. Begin construction
2. Begin Value Engineering of Phase 2 (“Functional Occupancy”) Scope and Cost
3. Acquire new bids for Phase 2
4. Construction Manager presents to the Board, “not to exceed” price for Phase 2
5. Board approves plans and costs for Phase 2
6. Begin Phase 2 construction
7. Begin Value Engineering of Final Phase (“Complete Project”) Scope and Cost
8. Move!
9. Construction Manager presents to the Board, “not to exceed” price for Final phase
10. Board approves plans and costs for final phase
11. Finish Complete Build-Out of Final Phase of Construction
12. Future Building Amenities targeted for future fundraising
13. Future Building Amenities constructed when funding achieved

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
July 24, 2018

Save the Dates!

Sunday, August 12, 2018 at 12:30pm – Town Hall Meeting,
Get the latest updates and have questions answered about the new Kol Rinah on Maryland Avenue

Sunday, August 19, 2018 at 10:30am – Groundbreaking Ceremony
7701 Maryland Avenue.

We are Building and Growing Together
Join us on August 12 at 12:30pm in the upstairs auditorium to be updated on:

• Board approval to move to construction
• Costs
• Building plan
• Construction start date

Join us on August 19 at 10:30am for the Groundbreaking Ceremony

Details of Recent Actions:

On July 19, 2018, the Kol Rinah Board of Directors approved a motion that will allow us to begin construction on our Maryland Avenue project.

Text of the Motion:

Based on both the unanimous recommendation of the Kol Rinah Facilities Committee and the unanimous recommendation of the Coordinating Committee, I move that the board approve the Scope and Cost for the Core & Shell Package for the Maryland Ave Project as presented by Patterhn Ives and Patrick Lawlor on 6-21-2018, for a Guaranteed Maximum Price (i.e. Not to Exceed) of $3,100,000.

What this means in terms of getting started with the project:

• Commence site work and build a Core & Shell Package 1for a Construction Cost of $3.1M as the first part of construction. 
• Core & Shell Package 1includes all of the major items needed to build a solid foundation for Functional Occupancy Package 2 (for a Construction Cost of $1.25M), and any future renovations that allow us to build the project that was initially designed by Patterhn Ives.  Additional work will be done as the money to pay for it is raised, however we will have a functional building at the end of this phase.

Core & Shell Package 1 includes:

• Hazardous Material Abatement
• New Sanctuary and Lobby/Elevator Addition Structure and Exterior Walls
• Basement Under Main Sanctuary Structure and Exterior Walls for intended Expanded Early Childhood  Center
• Major Site Work
• Underground Utilities Work
• Roof Replacement on Existing Building
• Selective Demolition in the Existing Building (as Abatement is completed)

The Total Cost of Package 1 and 2 is anticipated to be $7M, which includes all hard and soft costs (construction, professional fees, loan costs, etc.) for the project.

The construction of this project will be financed with a 5-year construction loan to be paid using pledges and contributions plus the proceeds from previously selling our properties. If you would like to contribute or increase a pledge, please call the office at 314-727-1747. 

 Anticipated Schedule:

• Late July, 2018– Hazardous Material Abatement of the Maryland Avenue Existing Building·
  August 12, 2018 – Congregational Meeting with a Presentation from the Project Team and Q&A Session·
  August 19, 2018 – Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Maryland Avenue Project·
  Mid to Late August, 2018 – Construction Begins of Core & Shell Package 1·
  Winter, 2018 – Construction Continues with start of Functional Occupancy Package 2 Construction·
  Summer, 2019 –  Anticipated Completion of Construction

While the complete details of construction and the schedule are still being finalized, the infrastructure work is beginning, and the final realization of Kol Rinah’s future home will be determined over the course of the next several months.

This is an exciting time for Kol Rinah. We are extremely proud of the work that our volunteers and professionals have accomplished over the last several years.

We understand that we have provided a lot of details and technical information. We are committed to building what we can afford and adding to the scope of our project as additional funds become available. As more information becomes known, we will share it as completely as possible.

We look forward to seeing you at the Congregational meeting on August 12 and the Groundbreaking on August 19.

Warmly,
Randi Mozenter and Sherri Sadon

On the Move – March 1, 2018

The construction documents for the Base Project (new Main Sanctuary with basement, renovation of the existing buildings, and shell space for the ECC) will be completed in March. At that time, based on the Board’s continuing commitment to its fiduciary responsibilities, the Facilities Committee has recommended that the Construction Documents be submitted to two independent contractors, SM Wilson and an additional St. Louis construction firm, for final bids on the project. Once those final bids are submitted, the Facilities Committee will review and vet the numbers, and make a recommendation to the Board about which contractor to engage for the project. The Board will then weigh the clearly defined cost of construction against the report from the Capital Campaign Committee about their achieved and projected fundraising efforts, and decide how to proceed.

The Facilities Committee continues to coordinate with the architects, and gather and provide information in the areas of security, synagogue heirlooms (paintings, stained glass & memorial plaques), interior furnishing, landscape, door hardware, roofing, etc. The project is proceeding at a rapid pace. All of these decisions being weighed are dependent on the availability of funds. We have already raised enough funds to build a project at our new home. The Facilities Committee is working hard to define specifically what items can and should be included in the project, based on the amount of funding projected.

The Facilities Committee is confident that the project we build will be a beautiful, inspiring and spiritual new home for Kol Rinah.

Click the On The Move tab of our website menu.

February 21, 2018
On the Move E-blast

This post will update you on the ongoing work of the Facilities Committee on the planning for our move to our new Maryland Avenue facility next year. We assure you that we remain committed to working deliberately, transparently, and with fiscal responsibility as we continue to create a new home for Kol Rinah.

•       The committee is coordinating daily with Patterhn Ives as they work to complete our construction documents. 90% of the documents will be completed by the middle of this month and 100% by the third week of March.
•       Completed construction documents will be submitted to two local contractors in order to receive a hard bid from each contractor. Once those final bids are submitted, the Facilities Committee will review and vet the numbers, and make a recommendation to the Board about which contractor to engage for the project. The Board will then weigh the clearly defined cost of construction against the report from the Capital Campaign Committee about their achieved and projected fundraising efforts, and decide how to proceed. This will ensure the greatest fiscal responsibility on the part of the Shul leadership, although it will extend our start of construction by a couple of months.
•       A plan has been made to accommodate both the legacy Memorial plaques and a new installation of future plaques.
•      A plan is being finalized to accommodate Heritage Stained glass in both the future Social Hall and the Small Chapel.
•      The design of the Small Chapel is being revised at this time to accommodate both small, intimate daily minyans and slightly larger (~70 people) services alike.
•       Our congregants, Danny Gurvis and Esti Goldman, who are experts in the door hardware industry are reviewing all specifications for door hardware for security, budget and design recommendations.
•      Scott Biondo, the Jewish Federation security expert, has been working with us to make sure our new building is secure, and will be working with the staff to develop a safety procedural manual. The ECC directors have been part of this process.

Although we all would like to proceed as quickly as possible, the Facilities Committee, as well as the Kol Rinah Board, is committed to a “Measure twice, Cut once” mantra. We will not sacrifice adequate, fiscally responsible planning for speed.

As always, we encourage your input and support in building a future home for Kol Rinah and the generations to follow.

The Facilities Committee is confident that the project we build will be a beautiful, inspiring and spiritual new home for Kol Rinah.

Sue Albert and Dan Rosenthal, Chairs of the Facilities Committee
Dave Cooperstein, VP Facilities

Story on KSDK about Kol Rinah and Journey sharing a Building

Congregational Meeting December 10, 2017

December 19, 2017

1 Tevet 5778

Dear fellow Kol Rinah Congregants,

We would like to end this secular year with some positive thoughts about Kol Rinah’s future home. We have been working for over three years on the Maryland Avenue building project, while embracing the uncertainty of our final budget, our short-term needs and coordinating with the buyer of our U City building. The Facilities Committee has worked diligently to methodically test scenarios for a building solution that meets our needs for the next fifty years.

We look forward to 2018 as a year of recognized possibilities and growth as a congregation.

• Through the Capital Campaign Committee’s tireless work, Kol Rinah has raised enough money to build a new Sanctuary for our site on Maryland Avenue in Clayton. Kol Rinah has already raised more money than either legacy congregation was ever able to raise for any project in either congregation’s history.

• In Patterhn-Ives, we found architects who listened carefully, responded thoughtfully, and designed a beautiful, cost-efficient, multi-tiered solution that meets all of our programmatic needs and responds to the various outcomes of our fundraising.  With Board and Congregational input the new Sanctuary was our first priority for a base project with both the ECC and the balcony as addenda.

• We have been more than fortunate to have chosen another congregation to partner with in this endeavor.  The Journey has been extremely cooperative in this process, and has in fact saved us many dollars that we would have had to lose in renting temporary quarters.  Yes, there have been inconveniences, but the tradeoff is huge.  Many of you may not realize that much of the cosmetic improvements in the Amherst building have been accomplished by dedicated volunteers.  We hope this spirit of volunteerism will carry over to our congregation.

Our partnership with the Journey has allowed us to remain in the Hanley building as we begin the renovation/building process at our exciting future home on 7701 Maryland Avenue early next year!

Please continue to contact us with your questions and comments.

B’Shalom,

Sue Albert

Dave Cooperstein

Dan Rosenthal

On Sunday, October 16, 2017, at Kol Rinah’s exciting Preview of its new building, Rabbi Noah Arnow inspired the crowd with the following words:

With Torah guiding us, we are coming together to create something new — a new sacred space for our community.  We are going to build a beautiful new home for Kol Rinah.  And when people walk by, they will exclaim on how beautiful it is.  But I hope they will also walk by and say, “That is a place full of kind people. That is the home of a community that really understands what it means to care about each other and have its doors wide open to everyone.”

Thank you to everyone for your help in making a reality this vision of building and growing together.

October 16, 2017

As we begin the New Year, we want to catch you up on all of the Facilities activity that went on during the summer months. First, we want to thank everyone who facilitated and attended the Preview Party on the lawn of 7701 Maryland.  Our first Mincha/Ma’ariv service was held there on Sunday, October 15.  This was a momentous occasion as we gathered on the space that will become our new Sanctuary.

Our wonderful architectural team at Patterhn Ives has begun work on the Construction Documents necessary for us to proceed with groundbreaking in Winter 2017/18. They have completed the Design Development Documents and submitted all the necessary reports to the City of Clayton. With approval from the Kol Rinah Board of Directors, the Construction Documents phase of work has been authorized to enable Facilities to make decisions based on finances and to give us the maximum flexibility in decision making. As a result of several presentations to committees in Clayton:

• The Clayton Board of Adjustment approved our Parking Variance.
• The Planning Commission approved our Site Plan.
• The Architectural Review Board approved our Architectural Review.
• The Architectural Review Board recommended approval of our Conditional Use Permit Amendment for the ECC to the Clayton Board of Alderman, who will meet and vote on October 24 at 7 p.m.

There was an annual meeting of the Old Town Neighborhood Association in September. The Mayor of Clayton was in attendance. He mentioned that they welcomed a synagogue in Clayton for the first time in fifty years. The neighbors have been extremely positive in their support.

On the Amherst/Hanley front you will have received an e-blast from the Directors of Kol Rinah about the current state of construction. The Journey’s construction is targeted for completion by mid-December. During the next couple of months we will be asked to be flexible and patient as they proceed with the updates to our former site. The Directors will keep you updated weekly so you can be prepared for any minor inconveniences. Our partnership with the Journey has been extremely cordial and we will continue to respect each other’s needs.

Sue Albert, Chair of Facilities
Dan Rosenthal, Chair of Facilities
Dave Cooperstein, VP Facilities

July 30, 2017

July 18, 2017

Our architects (Patterhn-Ives) have finished the Schematic Design for the Maryland Avenue project.  The design has been reviewed by the Facilities Committee, and presented to the Kol Rinah Board of Trustees.

The Facilities Committee and the Board are extremely excited about the current state of the project. The Patterhn-Ives team has come up with a seemingly miraculous design solution, which provides a new, stand-alone Main Sanctuary addition as part of Phase 1 of construction, within the target budget that was given to them by the Board. Their plan for the renovation of the existing buildings on the site transforms the space into extremely functional, and potentially beautiful, space that meets all the needs of our congregation for decades to come. Their design has the potential to not only create a beautiful new home for Kol Rinah that we can call our own, but to also transform the site into a special place in the heart of Clayton and in the Jewish community at large. The Board of has directed the architects to move into the Design Development phase of the project, during which they will work out further details of the design and refine cost estimates.
We are pleased to provide an update on the status of our Stained Glass windows:

• ALL of our Stained Glass windows in the Main Sanctuary is being removed, carefully packed and placed in storage.
• ALL of our Stained Glass in the Small Chapel will remain in place in the U. City building, until we are ready to uninstall it, move it, and repurpose it in our Maryland Avenue building.
• Plans are ongoing to reuse the Stained Glass in ways that are appropriate to honor our legacy congregations, and create something unique and beautiful for our new home. Our intention is to use major representations of stained glass in locations in our new home; reincorporating the glass from the small chapel and the small round window from the corridor, incorporating the center section of glass above the ark in an appropriate and beautiful way, and repurposing the side panels and fins in multiple ways throughout the new building. The specifics of how and where all these pieces will be used in the new building will be determined as we work with the architects through the next phase of design.

Special thanks to Aleene Zawada for her support and major assistance in this endeavor.

We have established and are accepting donations for a separate “Stained Glass Fund”, to be only used for the uninstall, storage, and incorporation of the stained glass into the design of our new home. Direct any questions regarding the Stained Glass to our President, Randi Mozenter.

Sue Albert, Chair of Facilities
Dan Rosenthal, Chair of Facilities
Dave Cooperstein, VP Facilities

Congregation Meeting to meet the Architects  May 21, 2017

June 5, 2017

This week’s eblast consists of a few answers to questions we have been asked over the past week.  There are quite a few meetings this week so we will have more to report the week of June 12. Please go to the On the Move section of the Kol Rinah website to view the video of our Congregational Meeting on May 21, 2017.

The synagogue office including the Rabbis will be located upstairs in the youth lounge beginning June 26. Phone numbers and email remain the same.

Kol Rinah will have exclusive use of the Guller Chapel, the Leve Auditorium, the Mirowitz auditorium and both the Meat and Dairy kitchens until we move out of the building.

Services will be held downstairs in the Mirowitz Auditorium as they have been held for the past several summers.

Our last Shabbat in the Sanctuary will be on Saturday, June 10. We will have a ceremony for leaving the Sanctuary on Sunday, June 11 at 1:00 p.m.

May 30, 2017

The past few weeks have been busy with meetings, hard work and constant communication between our architects, Patterhn-Ives, and the Facilities Committee.

Facilities had a very productive meeting with the acousticians consulting for PI who will be helping to design spaces where sound will enhance the environments of the synagogue.

The May Board Meeting included a detailed report from the Space Sharing Subcommittee.  The hard work of the subcommittee received special commendation from the Board.  We will all be the beneficiaries of their attention to detail in planning for our interim situation as well as the storage of key elements that will make the move with us to Clayton.  Please contact Stacey Hudson or Helene Mathis for any questions or concerns regarding the Space Sharing arrangements.

Last Sunday, the congregation was introduced to the principals of PI. They shared a presentation detailing their experience and its relevance to our project.  They demonstrated their thoughtful approach to design, their acility to listen to their client and to respond with sensitivity to budgetary restraints.  They then entertained questions from the congregation.  A video of this meeting will be available soon on the Kol Rinah website.

The office staff is busy preparing for their move to a newly renovated location upstairs.  The business of the shul will continue throughout the interim period.  Any one available to assist with moving or packing, should contact David Weber.  Tuesday, June 13th, we will be packing the books in the library for storage.  Please email Sue Albert if you can donate some time to help that day.

Finally there will be a Ceremony for Leaving the Sanctuary on Sunday, June 11th at 1 pm.

Chag Sameach Shavuot
Sue Albert & Dan Rosenthal, Chairs, Facilities
David Cooperstein, VP Facilities

Kol Rinah Space Sharing Plan

May 5, 2017

With the closing on the contract for 7701 Maryland Avenue, the Facilities Committee has been busy planning and coordinating the next steps for our exciting project:

– Our new architects at Patterhn-Ives (PI), officially began working on our project. It will take them a couple of weeks to review all the previous year’s worth of progress we’ve made on the project, plan out their schedule of work, and ramp up to begin designing our new home.

– The Kol Rinah Board will be introduced to PI, and have the opportunity to ask them questions, at a Special Board Meeting next week.

– After that introduction, The Facilities Committee will be meeting with PI, to help them clarify the vision and direction for the project, and answer any questions that they have for us. All of the feedback from last year’s Small Group Discussions, Congregational Meetings, emails and one-on-one conversations with the membership has been, and will continue to be, shared with Patterhn-Ives.

– The congregation will be introduced to PI, and have the opportunity to ask them questions at a Congregational Meeting on Sunday, May 21 at 10:00am at Kol Rinah.

We are excited about the partners that we’ve found in Patterhn-Ives, and truly believe they can bring a unique vision to our project within the budget that we’ve set.

As always, please contact us directly with concerns or questions.

Sue Albert & Dan Rosenthal, Facilities Co-Chairs
Dave Cooperstein, VP Facilities

April 30, 2017

It is with a voice of great joy that Kol Rinah announces that, as of this past week, we are the proud owners of 7701 Maryland Avenue. Our new home will be a vital force for Jewish life in the center of St. Louis and the first synagogue in Clayton in nearly 60 years.

The sale of our Hanley building and the purchase of the Maryland Avenue property is an historic step in the merger of our two legacy congregations.  Over the next year and a half, as we transition to the Maryland Avenue property, we will continue most of our activities in the current Hanley location.

Join us as we work towards establishing our new space and securing our future for many generations.  As always, reach out to us if you have any questions.

Randi Mozenter, President

president@kolrinahstl.org

Sherri Sadon, Board Chair

Boardchair@kolrinahstl.org

Rabbi Noah Arnow

Rabbiarnow@kolrinahstl.org

April 24, 2017

Our big news this week is that the Kol Rinah Board of Directors passed a motion this past week to approve the unanimous recommendation by the Facilities Committee to enter into a contract with Patterhn-Ives, LLC for the remainder of Design and Construction Administration of the Kol Rinah Clayton Building project.

Patterhn-Ives (PI) is a Clayton based architectural firm. The committee was very impressed with their ability to demonstrate creativity while maintaining strict budgetary control. They are committed to providing us with a design that is both spiritually fulfilling, programmatically efficient and affordable within our 4.7 million dollar budget. Their office is two blocks from our building site and they are excited with the close proximity to provide oversight of the construction process.

There will be a Congregational meeting on May 21 at 10 a.m. This will be an opportunity to meet our architects and receive an update on the status of our project. We will not be continuing with Finegold Alexander Architects, as their contract was not extended beyond the Schematic Design process.

The Programming Subcommittee completed their analysis of our space needs within the framework of our budgetary capacity. Their written report was submitted to PI.

Finally we will be requesting an art appraisal of our stained glass in preparation for the storage of the glass in the Sanctuary. The stained glass in the Chapel will remain in place while we continue to have exclusive use of the Chapel in accordance to our Space Sharing agreement with the Journey. It will also be incorporated into the design of the Clayton property.

As always, we welcome your concerns and questions.

Sue Albert & Dan Rosenthal, Facilities Co-Chairs
Dave Cooperstein, VP Facilities

April 3, 2017

The subcommittees of the Facilities Committee have been diligently working at their tasks despite the pressures of the upcoming Pesah festival.

• Sunday, we had a thorough report from Stacy Hudson on the negotiations for sharing our facilities with The Journey during the construction on both locations. The Space Sharing subcommittee has worked out a very equitable sharing arrangement, that allows both organizations to function during this transition period. We are looking forward to the continued excellent rapport, as well as the opportunities presented for interfaith cooperation.
• Rhiannon Kaye & the Programming subcommittee presented their detailed thoughts on our alternatives to present to the architects. As we revisit Schematic Design with the architects in the coming weeks, the Programming subcommittee (and the rest of the Facilities Committee) will make sure that the needs of the congregation are being met, while keeping the project in our target budget.
• Within the next week, the Facilities Committee will continue to review how to proceed with an architect for the rest of the project, and make a determination about the proper path. This recommendation will then be presented to the Board of Directors for review and approval at a Special Board Meeting the following week.
• The Facilities committee will be continuing to work on many details of this project in between the Yom Tov days ahead.
• Sherri and Randi have held two Coffee Talks with a third to be scheduled shortly after Passover. This is a great opportunity for congregants to voice concerns, offer constructive criticism and ask questions of our leadership. They are there to listen to you!

Due to the holidays our next E-blast will occur after Yom Tov.

March 27, 2017

The Facilities committee hit the ground running after the historic vote to close on the contract for the future home of Kol Rinah on Maryland Avenue between Hanley & Linden. Here are some of the highlights for this week:

* New subcommittees were established in order to accomplish tasks in an efficient manner (Space sharing, Programming, Fundraising, Design Management, Moving, Construction management and Communications).

* A space sharing agreement will be finalized shortly with The Journey that allows both congregations to continue offering the necessary services and activities.

* We are carefully evaluating the work done by our architects, Finegold Alexander Assoc. to determine how to proceed with design, given our target budget.

* Kol Rinah will be operating primarily at the University City site until tentatively August 2018. Some meetings may have to be held off-site.

* There will be equivalent parking at the Clayton site compared to the UCity site.

* The Programming subcommittee met Sunday March 26 with Rabbi Arnow in order to ensure that the space needs of the Congregation are in line with the target budget for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project, as presented to the Kol Rinah Board of Directors on March 16, 2017.

Watch for updates from the committee every Monday! We will be keeping you informed of the facts.  Any questions should be addressed to the Co-Chairs of Facilities, Sue Albert & Dan Rosenthal or Dave Cooperstein, VP Facilities.

Welcome to the new members of the Facilities Committee: Jerry Nuell, Florence Cohn, Lvav Spector, Esti Goldman and Al Leving.  Thank you to the members of the committee who are continuing to work hard on this exciting project: Debbie Igielnik, Elisa Israel, Helene Mathis, Marc Alper, Pat Cohen, Phil Gould, Ralph Graff, Rhiannon Kaye, Stacey Hudson, Sue Cort, Sherri Sadon and Randi Mozenter.

Learn more about our architects, Patterhn-Ives, LLC, here.

Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Contact Facilities.

For questions, comments, and concerns relating to our move refer to the contact list below:

President Randi Mozenter

Board Chair Sherri Sadon