In March 2017, Father Henri gathered a group of staff members, parish council members and finance council members to discuss the use and replacement of the former convent that has been serving as the Religious Education Center since the Benedictine sisters left in the 1980’s. A building committee was formed and discussion followed regarding the future of Our Lady of Fatima. Due to the increase in interest in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and a restructured youth ministry program for middle and high school students, it was very clear that growth for these ministries was limited due to available space.The staff prayed, reflected, and spoke with parishioners to honestly gauge the parish’s strengths and weaknesses. During this process one singular notion was common - the lack of meeting space. This notion was not new because the council began to look at means to consider the problem as far back as 2002. Reserving a room, is quite difficult and usually requires a lengthy wait.

It seems there is rarely any ‘room at the inn’. Our ministries and active faith have increased and more people have become engaged. This active participation now fills meeting spaces at the parish, religious education building, and school. At least one or two groups regularly meet in the library due to lack of space. The Knights of Columbus, a growing presence that has served the parish in numerous ways, has outgrown the room they meet in weekly. Additional growth will only increase the demand. All this is borne out of our active participation through faith – a good problem to have.To illustrate the point, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has waitlists for children to participate in the Religious Education Building where rooms

are nearly constantly booked. Youth ministries have 20-36 participants in their ministry on Sundays. Even in the largest room of the Religious Education Building there are young people sitting on the floor due to lack of space. To see our faith grow and pass to the next generation, it is necessary to engage children and youth - not make them wait. Parents are responsive and will not wait. They will go to other churches and even other faiths for the sake of their children. We cannot let that happen in our parish. Simply put, the growth of parish ministries at Our Lady of Fatima has put a strain on the facility resources and something needs to be done to relieve it.

HISTORY:

HOW DID THIS START?

The demand is increasing for:» Council meetings» Committees» Rehearsals for events » Boy Scout meetings » American Heritage Girl meetings» Youth ministry meetings » Adult Bible studies and RCIA» Events and staging for ministry projects» Spiritual direction» Called and Gifted» Respect Life

THE PROCESS BEGINS: WHAT WERE THE PARAMETERS OF WHY WE DESIGNED IT THE WAY WE DID? (DESIGN, LOCATION, CONVENT REMODELING, AND FUTURE GROWTH)Again, Fr. Henri established a Capital Campaign Committee in March 2017 to begin the process. First a campaign consultant was sought to guide us through the process. Several firms were interviewed and Cosgriff Company from Omaha was selected based on their 56 years of doing this type of parish work, their pricing, and that they are an all Catholic company.An architect and general contractor followed. Once again, the architect was selected based on best pricing, past performance as well as their specialization with Catholic projects. Integrated Design Group (IDG) from Denver is our architect of record.

GETTINGTHE BESTFOR LESS

The architect developed an initial plan based on the needs and wants of the parish. This was over

reaching as it included the entire list of wants from most of the ministries. It also included a large

parish hall and commercial kitchen. Unfortunately, that vision would cost upwards of $7 million so

it was dismissed. To roll back on the expense, a redesign was proposed by eliminating “wants” and

focusing solely on needs, namely future growth.

The architects continued to work with the building committee and the $3.5 million budget they were

given. The second building plan has two-stories and doesn’t include a new parish hall or kitchen.

Rather than overextending the finances of the parish and building more than we need, the lower-cost

design allows us to expand as we grow. Future expansion is planned into the design and could include

a reception hall, commercial kitchen, and more multipurpose rooms.

WHY NOT REMODEL THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION/OLD CONVENT BUILDING? During this exercise a remodel of the old convent was considered. Cost estimates from commercial contractors revealed it would cost about the same to do a workable remodel as it would to build a new building that would include 1,000 sq. ft. of more space. Incredible as that may seem, it is because the design of the convent is not conducive to bigger meeting rooms. The problem lies with several factors:• The convent was designed in a long narrow format to accommodate many small bedrooms. To reconfigure the design would be intensive and we would still be left with an old building that really does not lay out well for meeting and class spaces. • The building is not handicap accessible.• Those who use the RE building are not able to access the Internet with any reliability.• Rooms do not allow for more than 20 people to occupy a space comfortably. • In addition to remodeling the interior, roof work would also have to be done to eliminate the numerous leaks, and a completely new electrical and mechanical system would be necessary to bring the building up to code. By contrast, new construction for open meeting rooms would be simpler and more cost effective. The new building would have an additional 1,000 sq. ft. of more space than the remodeled convent for the same price.

IN THE PARKING LOT? Relocating the playground to the location of the existing Religious Education building and locating the new construction atop the old playground, would mean small children from Extended Day and the preschool would not need to cross the parking lot. Locating on the fresh site with open expansion space for current and projected construction keeps construction costs to a minimum.

WHY NOT USE CLASSROOMS?

One may ask, why not use space from the school for youth ministry or Catechesis of the Good Shepherd? As the school now continues to increase enrollment again, it is likely these rooms will be needed for classrooms in the next few years. Additionally, middle and high school students do not want to meet in a school room for their youth group activities.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?The members of the Campaign and Building Committees have been diligent in their

duty to do the best for the parish at the lowest cost. They realize it is not only they, but

those that sit beside them at Mass, who will be using and paying for this project.

Part of our obligation is to take the plans to the parish for comment. The first round

of that was through a Feasibility Study where every person in the parish had an

opportunity to comment on the plan and provide suggestions.

NO ROOM IN THE INN

OUR LADY OF FATIMANEW BUILDING PROJECT

Q. What about the parking lot and school roof? A. Because the parish has been fiscally responsible it has accumulated a reserve fund for repairs. We are able to use this for these projects immediately. This plan has been approved by the Archdiocese of Denver. Therefore, the cost of this work will be deducted from the original campaign goal. Some additional monies will be needed for the roof and parking lot and will come from a campaign.

Q. Will the parking lot repair last this time? A. Rather than just repairing the lot, we have conducted tests on the asphalt and the substructure by boring core samples deep in to the ground. These tests are allowing engineers to determine the best solution so that a one-time permanent fix will prevent future damage.

Q. Can we build a second (2nd) floor above the existing parish hall for more space? A. Unfortunately, no. Generally, the building has to be engineered and built to accommodate future expansion during original construction and our building was not designed that way.

Q. Will the new building be engineered and built for future expansion? A. Yes. It is quite likely we will need more space sometime in the future so the design and build is planned for expansion. This will provide the least expensive option to add space in the future.

Q. Will the new building be easy to access for people with walkers, canes, and wheelchairs? A. Yes, the entire building is designed that way. Not only will access be barrier free, but circulation area, hallways, bathrooms, bathroom stalls, and doorways will also accommodate mobility aids and an elevator is included for easy access.

Q. When can we break ground on a new building? A. Generally the Archdiocese of Denver requires that we have 100% of the total project cost pledged by parishioners through a Capital Campaign. Then at least 50% of that total project cost must actually be collected and in cash before granting approval for us to break ground. The Real Estate and Finance Offices of the Archdiocese of Denver have reviewed our plans and our goals. Based on the sound reputation of the parish and the overwhelming need for space they have agreed to waive the usual requirements. They will accelerate approval for the ground breaking date provided we do our part, which is to have a campaign and be generous. So, the real answer to when we could break ground will be determined by you.

Q. How will the demolition of the old Religious Education/Convent Building and construction of the new building be scheduled? A. The construction company will determine that schedule when the time comes. It is likely that there will be some overlapping periods when space is demolished and new space is not ready, so we must prepare for that. Likewise, shifting the play areas will also be part of the timeline.

Q. Are the demolition costs of the old Religious Education/Convent Building included in the new buildings total cost projection? A. Yes.

Q. Why can’t we renovate the old Religious Education/Convent Building for new space? A. The building was designed and built as a residence for nuns. The upper level was designed to house 10 sisters in 10 small rooms and included a sun room used for relaxation. The lower level was designed with a few general purpose rooms to accommodate several people and a chapel. It was later adapted to house the Religious Education offices, but did not function well in that capacity. Even if we were to gut the building and open up the space the resulting rooms would not be large enough to accommodate the size of rooms needed for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and the youth groups. Further, the roof has many leaks. The cost to renovate would be nearly the same as a new building of the same size and we would still be dealing with rooms that are too small, low ceilings, an old structure, and a very inefficient floor plan all for a great deal of money.

FUN FACT: Father Henri Tshibambe was speaking to Bishop Walker Nickless about this project and Bishop Nickless’ first comment was, “What? You still have the old religious ed building? Why haven’t you gotten rid of it yet?”

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

WHERE AREWE NOW?

In the meantime, the architect and contractor continued to work on the design, construction schedule, and cost estimate to allow the Archdiocese of Denver planning group time to review and then approve the campaign. A presentation was made to them in May 2018 and approval to continue with the campaign was received the following month. After analyzing the responses from the Feasibility Study, it was clear the parish needed to understand the whole story and rationale for the plan. To that end, an information campaign is being implemented to clearly explain the background, building layout, and campaign plans. At the conclusion of this information campaign, we will again ask what the parish family has to say. At that point the parish will either move forward or stop the project. The final decision is in hands of the people of the parish.

If you have questions let us know so we can answer them and put them on the website. Please go to » capitalcampaign@fatimalakewood.com

Unfortunately, the longer we wait to address our space needs, the more it will cost. Construction costs are rising rapidly. Unless construction can begin in the spring of 2019, the cost of the project will continue to rise so that when we do take action it will cost much more.Our Lady of Fatima is experiencing a growth in the number of young adults and families moving to the area. To provide for their needs and look to the future of a vibrant and lively faith community, the parish

must plan for growth in its physical plant. The current design plans for a new building allow for growth. As the parish grows and our families seek to grow in their relationship to Christ and serve his Church, they will become true stewards of their faith community by giving their gifts of time, talent, and treasure. Their commitment to the parish will mean many of the options originally hoped for by the building committee may be realized in the future.

TIME IS MONEY