Plans » Background
1. Why is a building project necessary?
2. How did the planning proceed, and who was responsible for it?
3. How have the plans and costs changed since 2004?
Summary:
• First (Scots) is a growing church (359 new members since 2004)
• We are out of space for Christian Education and local missions
• There has been no expansion for fifty years
•This is probably the last opportunity for expansion on this property
Discussion:
The immediate answer is that we are a growing church with many young families, and we are simply out of space for children, youth, and adults. Current classrooms are overflowing, and there is no place for new classes. The old classrooms are not equipped for new educational technology or for comfort. Beyond the needs of Christian Education, we have inadequate space for current programs such as Meals on Wheels, and no place for future programs. There is little storage space. Our current staff members have insufficient office space. There are not enough bathrooms. Our heating and cooling systems are antiquated and inadequate. Our present education and fellowship space is not handicapped accessible, and some of our current space is not even sprinkled for fire safety. These needs were documented and analyzed by a study commissioned by the Session in February 2002, and since that time, they have become even more acute.
But there is another answer that puts our immediate needs as a congregation into the context of the greater history of God's people in this place - of those who have come before us and those who will follow.
Our founders in the 18th century purchased our property where the sanctuary and graveyard are located and built the first frame church in 1734. Several years later they enlarged the building. In the 19th century our spiritual forbearers built our beautiful sanctuary and later constructed a Sunday School building attached to it. Then, despite the ravages of war and its aftermath, they repaired extensive damage to the church from the hurricane of 1885 and the earthquake of 1886.
The 20th century saw the dedication of an enlarged Sunday School building in 1920, and extensive restoration after a tornado in 1938 and a fire in 1945. In 1959, the present office and fellowship building, and the education annex were built; and contiguous property was purchased. Major renovations occurred in 1969 and after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The last century drew to a close with the purchase of what we now call the Kirk House in 1997, the establishment of our memorial garden in 1998, and the replacing of the bell in the church tower in 1999, and structural renovations to our sanctuary in 2002.
As we enter our fourth century at the corner of Meeting and Tradd, we are being asked to take our place in history and accept the challenge of what surely will be the last major construction on our current site. Years of proposals and designs have resulted in a plan approved by the city agencies, by the historic preservation and neighborhood entities, and finally by the congregation in a near unanimous vote on October 19, 2008. This is probably the last opportunity for expansion on this property. [Back to top of page.]
Timeline:
• 2001: Session formed the Facilities Planning Task Force (FPTF).
• 2002: The FTPF gathered information from all user groups as well as the neighborhood, and analyzed the needs.
• 2003: The congregation approved a plan to demolish the Patla house (present Kirk House) and build a new facility on cleared property.
• 2004: The Generations Campaign raised $2.4 million.
• 2005: The Board of Architectural Review (BAR) rejected the demolition of the Kirk House.
• 2006: Crisis Ministries accepted an offer to have the Kirk House moved to their property, but the BAR rejected any movement of the Kirk House.
• 2007: Alternatives were reëvaluated by Session, the ACORN Committee, City of Charleston, neighborhood group, and Historic Charleston Foundation.
• 2008: The City of Charleston and the BAR approved plans to demolish Molly Weir Hall and replace it with a large building, and the congregation approved this plan.
Discussion:
The planning was authorized and overseen by the Session at every step. It was guided by our Vision Statement and based primarily on the 2002 needs analysis. The nuts-and-bolts planning was carried out by two committees organized by Session to implement the planning process: the Facilities Planning Task Force (FPTF), charged to develop a plan that would meet the congregation's needs for the next fifty years, and the Architectural Committee on Renovation Needs (ACORN), charged to ensure that any building or renovation recommended by the FPTF not only met the program needs, but also was consistent with the interests and experiences of neighborhood groups, local history groups, other downtown churches, and the city. At every step, architects, engineers, and financial planners added their expertise. [Back to top of page.]
Summary:
• Changes required by the BAR and BZA resulted in an entirely new plan.
• Molly Wier hall and the Annex building behind it will be torn down.
• A new building will be constructed.
• The building that now houses the church offices will be renovated.
• The new project will cost $7.2 million.
Discussion:
The plans changed because of requirements by the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Board of Architectural Review. Originally we intended a new, stand-alone building for $3.2 million to be followed with a $2.4 million renovation of the present educational and fellowship space. Those projects could have been phased, and we estimated that the total cost would have been $5.6 million. Now, however, we are looking at a more extensive project that requires the demolition of the present Molly Wier Hall and the two-story Annex Building behind it, followed by a construction and renovation project that will approach $7.2 million. Included in the total cost are furnishings for the new building, moving expenses, and the expense of relocating some of our programs to other sites during the interim. [Back to top of page.]