Church Votes to Approve Cost Increase

At the 6 February Shiloh business meeting the church voted to authorize the New Building Committee to pay the additional costs of constructing the Family Life Center. A budget for tables and chairs was also approved. The builder is currently projecting completion during the first week in April.

Remembering our Service Members

Shiloh has several members serving with the armed forces overseas. We are greatly appreciative of their sacrifice and pray for their safe return. One of them is monitoring our construction progress via this blog. Here is a view of the new Family Life Center taken from Route 3 and with a few liberties with the J H Batten construction sign.

Rapid Progress

The framing on the drive through is almost complete. Once finished, the masons will begin to lay the brick that covers the framing. One of the steel lintels that support the brick over the archway can be seen in the foreground. Nearly all windows and doors are installed. The exceptions are the stained glass that will go in the round openings and the front glass doors that were damaged in shipment and are being replaced.

Inside, most of the sheetrock is installed and the heating and air conditioning ductwork is going in. Electrical and phone wiring is complete.

At Long Last!

Last of the Structural Steel Erected

The remaining roof trusses will be installed starting Tuesday, 2 January.

Window Installation Begins

Final, Final Grading

The excavation contractor completes grading and the spreading gravel. The parking lot can now be used for church activities. The last of the structural steel has not yet arrived, but fabrication was done this week. Hopefully it will arrive next week. Window installation will commence either tomorrow or Monday.

Final Grading

The excavation contractor is bringing our new parking lot to final grade level and will spread gravel in preparation for paving. The windows are scheduled to arrive next week as are the replacement steel beams for the drive through. The county approval of the building structure is expected this week. Passing this inspection will allow us to proceed to completion.

Another Delay On Completing the Drive Through

The structural engineer for our Family Life Center project (Alliance in Richmond) has determined that the steel beams that run between the building and the new steel support columns must meet the original design specifications. This means the re-designed beams that are currently on site must be replaced. This will delay completion of the drive through while new beams are ordered and fabricated. The upside is the drive through will be very strong. The downside is it will take longer to complete.

Sidewalks Poured

The sidewalks are almost complete. The parking lot still needs to be graded to its final contours. This is why some of the sidewalk sections currently appear to be too low. Plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning work continues inside the building.

Curbs and Gutters Going In

The curbing and gutters for the new parking lot have been poured. Final grading and the laying of gravel will commence soon. This will permit us to start using part the new parking area prior to asphalt paving.

Last of the Steel Arrives

The structural steel posts that replace the masonry ones in the drive through are now on site. Erection of the remaining steel and completion of the drive through will commence as soon as the grading and cement contractors complete the curbs and sidewalks.

Steel Spaghetti

The electrician has been busy running the flexible conduit that houses the Family Life Center electrical cables. This photo is taken outside the area that will eventually contain the main power panel.

Work Moves Inside

The exterior brick and the roof are essentially finished with only the drive through remaining. We are awaiting delivery of the additional steel beams needed to replace the masonry columns that have been taken down. Work has moved inside the building with plumbing, electrical and heating/air conditioning contractors hard at work. The grass is starting to come up in the area of the storm drain outlet. This will stabilize the soil to reduce the chance of another washout like we experienced with Tropical Storm Ernesto

First Shiloh Expansion

The first expansion to Shiloh can be seen in this old aerial photo. This project created the existing fellowship hall. It is shown under construction.

Roofers Back on the Job

A two-man crew repairs damage to the roof from tropical storm Ernesto. The full crew is scheduled to return tomorrow and begin installation of the shingles.

Starting Point

While we focus on the completion of the new family life center, it is worthwhile to remember where we started. The photo shows Shiloh Baptist Church as it stood in 1958, a few years after being rebuilt due to tornado damage and before the two (soon to be three) expansions.

Construction Resumes!

Today the county inspected and approved the site work items that caused the hold on construction. This effort took much longer than expected due to damage caused by tropical storm Ernesto. The torrential rainfall washed out part of the storm drain system, repair of which extended the schedule. Work has now resumed on the building.

Finishing Up Storm Drain System

DeBernard Construction puts finishing touches to the the storm drain system. The remaining activity is to construct the poured concrete flume, which will carry away the storm water and prevent erosion. That effort is expected to complete after the Labor Day Holiday.

Site Work Proceeding

DeBernard Construction expects to complete the site work required by the county on Wednesday, August 30th so that work can resume on the new building. Progress has been slower than expected due to an old nemesis - unsuitable soil. A small area of old fill had to be replaced in order to finish the storm drain system. In the photo the new fill is being laid and compacted.