St. Mary's Campus Connection - Update

Our goal is today is to (1) recall the current and future facility needs of our parish (2) review the St. Mary's Campus Connection recommendation, and (3) give  you an update on our current progress and next steps.  
 
Current/Future Facility Needs
 
You likely recall that over the past 18 months a working group led by Rick Lenz and Tom Potter assessed St. Mary's community current and future physical needs
 
Our parish is vibrant and our school is a shining example of academic excellence and fiscal health;  yet our facilities haven't had major changes for more than 25  years.
 
The facility work group determined to meet the needs of our entire community for today and the next 25 years  we needed (a) more gathering spaces for our Parish activities (b) dramatically improved accessibility to the Sanctuary and lower church, (c) upgraded & accessible bathrooms, (d) improved traffic flow and parking, (e) a contiguous campus - bringing the parish offices back to this side of the street (f) a permanent solution to the temporary classrooms of St. Mary's School and (g) a campus that integrated our community in a manner consistent with our vision.
 
St. Mary's Campus Connection
 
To address these needs the working group recommended constructing St. Mary's Campus Connection - a new building between the Parish and the School that includes
 

• a Parish Life Center with divisible rooms,
• an elevator for accessibility throughout the Church,
• modern & accessible bathrooms,
• new roadways that improve traffic circulation,
• expanded handicap and regular parking,
• a renovated lower church,
• a music/art room shared by the parish choirs and the school,
• a new school library,
• an indoor walking path between the north parking to the Sanctuary, and
• an ability for CYO and St. Mary's to host home basketball games in the Parish Center.

 
The plan also calls for

• landscaping consistent with our position as a northern gateway to downtown Simsbury,
• the sale of the Parish offices and
• the removal of the temporary classrooms.

 
After sharing the details of this recommendation in early summer, the Parish and School families gave their input through a survey.
 
We are very grateful for the support that you and families from both the parish and school have shown.  We are also encouraged by our initial, informal discussions with the Town of Simsbury.
 
Current & Next Steps
 
With that support, Father Matera asked us to form a steering committee of 10 parishioners, school parents and advisors
 
Our committee is currently in active assessment phase through Thanksgiving, reaching out to some parishioners to assess the feasibility to fund-raise the $4.3mm necessary for recommended option. We are highly encouraged by early results.
 
If we discover that the plan is financially feasible, Father Matera will ask permission of the Archbishop to hire a professional fundraiser & pursue recommended "Campus Connection"
 
If we receive permission from the Archbishop, the next steps will include
a) starting a formal fund-raising in the Spring of 2016
b) seeking final permissions from the town
 
We would like to ask you for your continued prayers and support for this project.