St. Mark's Parish

Welcome to the Building For the Future (BFF) Update Page!

This is where we will post updates as we have them regarding both the design and building process and the fundraising process.
Please check back as often as you wish for more updates.
Please also feel free to comment below if you wish. Comments are moderated.

Current Update

August 4, 2019 - Roof On, Brick Sheathing Done, Electrical in Progress, and Sheetrock Coming!

With all of the work accomplished in the past two months, things have rushed forward faster than we can document them on this page! Want to catch up on the progress? Visit our Facebook Page and specifically our Building For the Future Facebook album.

Since the end of May, some things have progressed quickly, and others not as quickly. The roof and front brick sheathing are both complete and the windows are almost all in (one left) with only the stucco left to complete on the outside. On the inside, the framing is complete, the fire-sheetrocking and elevator sheetrock is complete, and the electricians are busy mounting swichboxes and outlet boxes in preparation for running wires. Once wires are run and approved, insulation can be installed and sheetrock can be put up. The walls will soon be closing in! We anticipate a huge amount of progress in the coming weeks. By the end of August, we hope to be able to start on the finishing.

On the financial side. we are signing the loan documents with Rogue Credit Union for a $250,000 mortgage on Dagwell Hall (our old education building) and have finalized a modification to our lease with Family Nurturing Center with them beginning to pay us rent that will cover our mortgage pauments. The proceeds of that mortgage will allow us to completely pay for this project. Of course, we continue to welcome online donations through our donations page. Almost there!

May 28, 2019 - Making Progress, Roof Nearly Complete, and Plumbing and HVAC (almost) in!

Amidst late spring rains, progress continues on our building. The plumbers have been here for many days roughing in the various water, sewage, and rainfall drains in the building. HVAC intakes and vents are going in, and the roof is almost ready to be covered and completed, so rain will no longer be a factor soon! We continue to wait for our elevator shaft structure to be installed, after which the roof will be completed and the electrical work can begin.

We continue our Eastertide GoFundMe campaign, which will end on June 9. So far, a minimal amount of money has been raised, mostly from our own members. In the event that we don't raise significant funds, the campaign will be ended and money refunded. Of course, we continue to accept online contributions through our donation page. Thanks to all who have donated!

April 29, 2019 - New Building Taking Shape and New Food Pantry Campaign Launched

With the many days of good weather, our addition is moving quickly along! The interior framing is essentially complete, so we can now wander through what will be the new rooms and see what the space will actually look like. The roof sheathing is going on and is nearly complete as well. The last phase of this process will be the elevator installation which we hope to have in the next week or so. Then the roofers will jump in and complete the roof so that rain is not so much a factor in our building progress. After that, plumbing and electrical will start and we will move through the final months of the process.

At the same time, we have launched an Eastertide (Easter Season) GoFundMe campaign for the Food Pantry portion of our build. The food pantry will match up to $40,000 in contributions, many of which we hope will be from the Medford community. Our church has already raised nearly $2 million for our addition and we are hoping for some community support for at least this corner of the building. Click here to visit our GoFundMe page and donate and share with your friends!

March 26, 2019 - Floor Joists and Decking Going On--roof coming off!

Progress continues amidst iffy weather. The second floor joists are in and the decking for the second floor is being installed today. Current plans are for the roof of the old Parish Hall to be removed today, which will clear the way for the framing of the second floor of the new office area and the roofing of the entire new structure--hopefully becfore too much rain falls!

We continue to complete paperwork on a mortgage for Dagwell Hall to bridge our funding gap and, of course, welcome pledges and contributions to close that gap. Interested in pledging? Contact the church office. Interested in contributing online? Click here and select "BFF" as the designated fund. Thanks!

March 11, 2019 - Building Permit Approved, Construction Resumed, Framing in progress!

Our building permit was finally approved in mid-February, after more than a month of no construction at all. In the last month, the elevator shaft has been largely completed, half of the upstairs room (vesting area) has been demolished to make way for the remainder of the shaft, the metal roof trusses have been installed, and we are on the cusp of "the great roof tear-off" with the roof of the old Parish Hall being removed, a second story (mostly offices and bathrroms) framed in, and the entire structure covered with a new roof. Our hope is that we can avoid any torrential downpours and continue making good progress on this build. The current plan is to have construction completed by the end of June.

We finalized costs on the project in late January, with a final total of about $2 million for project cost, about $200,000 over what had been expected. We did receive a grant from the Diocese of Oregon for $100,000 and the Hafer House sale closed on February 28 with net proceeds of about $320,000 ($350,000 selling price, minus fees, minus four months of lease-back payments). Since we had budgeted $400,000 for property sales and grants, we did in fact make that budget. The remaining funding gap will hopefully be filled by a loan from mortgaging Dagwell Hall (current headquarters of the Family Nurturing Center) for $250,000, subject to diocesan and bank approval. So, financing is essentially complete!

January 16, 2019 - Elevator On Its Way, Final Permitting in Process, and more!

It's been more than six weeks since our last update, and much has happened in the meantime--but not nearly as much as hoped! The hole for the elevator has been dug, finished, and temporarily capped and ready for the elevator shaft to be fabricated and the elevator installed. We are weiting on a permit for that to happen--and the elevator itself arrives on Friday. In the last few weeks we did get a few walls put together and erected, but are awaiting final sign-off on the building permit before resuming work.

On the financial side, we met--and surpassed--our $330,000 goal, with a current total of nearly $340,000. We have a "post-campaign goal" of $400,000 and are hoping for a few final pledges to come in during the next weeks and months. We are also wrestling with some cost overruns, much of them related to the skyrocketing cost of lumber (see last update). We continue to explore options to reduce those overruns and close our funding gap.

More updates when construction resumes!

November 26, 2018 - Addition Concrete Work Complete, Elevator Footing Hole Dug, and Lumber On Site

Today marked a milestone in the progress of our build: the first load of lumber was delivered! With the footings and concrete foundations poured, we are close to beginning framing the new addition, weather permitting. At the same time, the six foot deep hole for the footings for our elevator (due in January) has been dug and we are hoping to get those footings poured soon. The hope and intent is to have the structure dried in before substantive winter rains.

At the same time, our Capital Campaign continues, with pledges and contributions totalling $283,100 or 85% of our $330,000 goal! We will be having an Annual and Capital Campaign Ingathering on Sunday, December 9 and an End-of-Campaigns Celebration on Sunday, December 16. For more information on our Capital Campaign, click here.

October 23, 2018 - Footings Poured, Foundation Forms Ready, Demolition for Elevator Nearly Completed

Things have been going in fits and starts the past few weeks. Last week the foodings were finally pourred, beginning to define the "footprint" of our new addition. As you can see by the photos, we now have foundation wall forms ready for inspection and then foundation pouring, hopefully tomorrow. We continue to move as quickly as possible in an effort to get the structure dried in. Once the roof trusses are in on the addition, all but the very end of the old Parish Hall roof will be removed, a second floor added, and the two structures will be roofed together. This obviously has to be done in non-rainy weather, of which we are getting less and less. Inside, the kitchen has been demolished (including a very inconvenient concrete slab) and HVAC, wiring, and plumbing will be rerouted around the place where the elevator will be placed.

On the financial side, we're in the final weeks of preparation to launch our $330,000 Building For the Future (BFF) Capital Campaign on Sunday, November 4 (All Saints Sunday)! By that time we hope to have already raised a substantial amount of money from major donors and have a month-long campaign that includes both our Capital Fund Campaign and our Annual Fund Campaign (for 2019). Our next update will have links for those who wish to donate or pledge online for the Capital Fund.. Want to donate to our Annual Fund or Capital Fund NOW? Click HERE!

September 24, 2018 - Site Work Begins, Church Entrance Relocated, and Preparation for Capital Campaign Ongoing

On Monday, September 24 the site work began in preparation for the pouring of the foundation of our new Parish Center! At the same time, access to the Church and Parish Hall was restricted by the expanded construction area, requiring that we temporarily move the primary entrance to the Fifth Street side of the church. This arrangement will continue until framing has been done, roof trusses secured, and there is no longer any need for crane access to the building site. Our new courtyard will then be poured and access restored.

We have also finalized our capital campaign brochure, will be training volunteers on October 7, and expect to formally launch the campaign on Sunday, November 4 with a goal of raising $330,000.

August 16, 2018 - New Concept Drawings, Foundation Permitting in Process, Plans Being FInalized

The BFF Committee met last night for a very productive session. We received new renderings of the outside of the proposed building, with which we were very impressed and made us even more excited to see the reality of the new building. Even the back looks great!

We also received updates in two areas:

Construction and Communication Update

After a furry of activity during the initial demolition phase, the construction site has been quiet for several weeks while we await final "MEPs" (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing drawings) and finalize plans for the foundation on Parish Center addition (we've settled on that name). The foundation permit should be pulled in the next week or two, with digging and setting the foundation to follow. Once plans are finalized, we expect to receive bids soon with construction beginning in September and ramping up throughout the fall. All design elements have been completed.

Finance and Fundraising Update

With the Fundraising Study complete and the Capital Campaign goal of $330,000 established, we hope and intend to also receive an additional $400,000 through a combination of property sales and grants and/or loans. We have received valuations for Dagwell Hall, our Garden Plots, and an updated valuation for Hafer House. Funds we currently have will fully finance the intial "dry in" of the structure, which is our goal to complete before the rainy season. Design and printing of Capital Campaign materials will take place during late August and September, prelminiary work on the Capital Campaign will begin October 6 wtih a training for campaign volunteers, and the official kick-off of the campaign will be on All Saints Sunday, November 4.

July 10, 2018 - It has begun! Outside Demolition Complete

After a brief groundbreaking liturgy on Sunday, July 1, a bit more than a week later the first excavators rolled onto the site and made short work of the demolition of the garages, followed by the digging up of the asphalt parking area and the removal of the brick courtyard, trees, and planting areas. As you can see from the picture below, the site is now simply a dirt lot, ready to receive a new courtyard area (see above rendering). The new courtyard area will be more open as well as allowing easier access to the church, hallway, and (future) Community Center (Parish Hall), all from one central ramp. The area will also be well lit and attractively landscaped and will feel more open than the previous sheltered patio. The ground has also been cleared for the pouring of the foundation for the Community Center addition (social hall, food pantry storage, kitchen, and classrooms) which will begin to be roughed in as soon as possible. The final piece is to join the new building to the old and to demolish most of the roof of the current building to add a second floor to it. While seeing our former courtyard and parking area removed is a bit shocking, we're excited that the project is finally underway. Please note that there are no plans to modify the church building itself, just the current Parish Hall.

At the same time, we are in our final week of receiving surveys for our Fundraising Study, the report from which we expect to have on Monday, August 6. Shortly afterwards, we hope to have all sub-contractor bids in and can finalize both costs and needed funding. While summers are often quiet times around St. Mark's, this summer is an exception--we will be busy for many months. Stay tuned!

June 14, 2018 - Fundraising Study Begins, Groundbreaking on July 1

Our Fundraising Study begins on Saturday, June 23 with a series of face-to-face interviews with potential donors. Copies of the Tentative Case Statement will be mailed or emailed on Monday, June 25. Responses are requested no later than Monday, July 16 and the results will be available in early August. The Tentative Case Statement is available here. Meanwile, all are invited to the Building For the Future Groundbreaking at 9:15 am on Sunday, July 1. A number of people have asked why we are starting construction before our fundraising process is completed. The reason is that we do have $1 million of our needed $1.74 million already and need to at least get the shell up and enclosed before the rains arrive in the fall. Also, costs escalate the longer we wait. We will set the pace of construction based upon the funding available.

May 27, 2018 - Moving Ahead and Looking Ahead

At a special Vestry meeting, and on the recommendation of the Building For the Future (BFF) Committee, the Vestry approved two time-lines for our continuing project, as follows:

Fundraising Schedule: Phase 1 (Discernment Phase) was completed several weeks ago. Phase 2 (Fundraising Study) will begin in late June with the mailing of survey and study materials and some face-to-face meetings. The Fundraising Study will be completed by early August and will give us an idea of how much financial support we might expect as a result of Phase 3 (Solicitation Phase). The Solicitation Phase will begin in mid-August and conclude in late November

Construction Schedule: As we no longer have Hafer House on the market and we will not know how much financial support to expect until early August, the Vestry approved the establishment of the job site, the demolition of the garages and the asphalt parking area, the front landscaping, and the elevator installation and basement modifications. As we have $1 million, we are confident that we will be able to move through these phases. Other phases of the project will be approved as funding is confirmed.

We remain tremendously excited to begin the construction process, even as we hope for a successful fundraising effort.

April 12, 2018 - BFF Committee Meeting - Final Materials for Fundraising Study

The Building For the Future (BFF) committee met with Jerry Campbell, our consultant, to finalize materials for the Fundraising Study (Phase 2 of our Capital Campaign). While the Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission (LHPC) narrowly approved our plans, our previous buyer for Hafer House has withdrawn the offer, so we are in the midst of considering our options for accessing the equity of Hafer House to fund a portion of the new building. Fundraising Study final materials will be completed by May 24.

April 10, 2018 - LHPC Commission Approval

On Tuesday, April 10 the Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission (LHPC) continued the hearing that was begun on February 6th. After the testimony of our architect and a handful of members of our congregation, as well as the presence of two dozen others, the LHPC approved our revised plans on a vote of 3-2. Press coverage can be found here. Many thanks to those who came! Our next step will be to both continue to refine our plans as well as persuing both donations and financing options.

March 27, 2018 - Press Release and KOBI Press Coverage

St. Mark's issues a Press Release this afternoon regarding our building plans and our continuing discussions with the city staff in preparation for the continuation of our hearing before the Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission on April 10. The story can be accessed here. Thanks to KOBI Channel 5 for their coverage!

March 9, 2018 - Hafer House sold to Trinity Counseling LLC

On Friday, March 9 we accepted a purchase offer for Hafer House in the amount of $400,000. Assuming this transaction is completed as planned, this represents a major step towards financing our new addition and renovation project. One provison of the agreement is that our offices will remain in Hafer House until no later than September 1, 2018. As this is well in advance of the completion of our project, we will be looking at options for temporary office space or will convert existing space into such temporary office space.

March 6, 2018 - 5:30 pm - Medford Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission Hearing (continued) - POSTPONED to APRIL 10

On March 6 the Commission dealt with a request for a sign directing people to St. Mark's and the Family Nurturing Center to be placed on a legal office at Main and Oakdale. Staff approved the proposal and the Commission quickly approved the request. Due to ongoing negotiations with city staff and the need to flesh out some background material, our architect has requested a postponement of the original March 6 hearing. See above for more information.

March 1, 2018 - $1.74 Million Capital Campaign Launched

The Building For the Future (BFF) Committee met on Tuesday, February 27 to conclude the Discernment Phase (Phase 1 of 3) of our capital campaign. Confident that you, the members of St. Mark's, are fully aware and supportive of this project, we move into our Feasibility Study (Phase 2) to determine the level of financial support we might expect to receive from our members. Having received a reliable initial cost estimate for our renovation and addition, we can now announce that we are launching a $1.74 million capital campaign. We have already raised $1,050,000, and we anticipate an eventual $400,000 from the sale of Hafer House. We believe that raising the remainder ($290,000) is well within our capacity as a community of faith. During the feasibility study you will be able to evaluate a full and comprehensive description of this project and will be encouraged to express your thoughts and feelings about the project through confidential interviews, and online or paper surveys. If you have any questions please contact Reverend Tom at rector@stmarks-medford.org or (541) 773-3111, Debra McFadden, or any member of the BFF Committee.

February 27, 2018 - BFF Committee Meeting

The Building For the Future (BFF) Committee has met with our consultant, Jerry Campbell, to review progress to date on the Discernment Phase of the Capital Campaign and has now authorized the beinning of the Feasibility Study (Phase 2) which will involve online and paper surveys, face-to-face interviews, and other information-gathering processes (see above). The result of the Feasibility Study will be a determination of how much money may reasonably be raised from our congregation as we also move towards final numbers for costs.

February 13, 2018 - Meeting with Medford CIty Planning Staff

Reverend Tom, Debra McFadden (Sr. Warden), and Mark McKechnie (Architect) met with city planning staff to review the application and present alternatives to the submitted diagrams. Staff expressed concern that the "Markade" (World War II construction) be preserved, though at this point only the rear wall and side wall facing the parking area are left of the original. They also wanted us to preserve the "Spirit wall" at the front of the current Parish Hall, though it was built in the late 1960s. We have not yet heard from the staff following this meeting.

February 6, 2018 - Historic Preservation Commission Hearing

Appeared before the Medford Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission (LHPC) regarding our application for the renovation and addition.. Staff recommended denial of the application. After a substantial show of support by members and friends of St. Mark's who attended the meeting, the Commission decided to table the motion to deny until their March 6 meeting.

January 28, 2018 - Annual Meeting Presentation

At the Annual Meeting of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, we presented the plans and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (see documents in the BFF website section) to an enthusiastic congregation. We are currently winding down the Discernment Phase (Phase 1 of 3) of our Capital Campaign and hope to have solid cost estimates by the end of February.