Project Background

For several years, First Unitarian’s current sanctuary, campus and support facilities have been unable to serve the needs of our growing membership that currently is nearly 800.
     By 2008, our Sunday services had become unbearably crowded (when our membership sat at just 640). Thus, a third Sunday service in a contemporary format was instituted at 12:30pm.
     That eased the pinch for a time, but now we face the problem of crowded services again. On many Sundays, our first and second services provide very few welcoming seats for new-comers, and frequently, members who arrive on time have difficulty finding seats. Furthermore, our most popular annual service events experience “standing room only."
     Our size also means we have more groups, committees, and program activities needing meeting space – more than ever before. On our January 2011 calendar alone there were 224 non-worship service meetings scheduled. We accommodated these activities with just 16 indoor spaces (including our RE rooms that have restricted use). Likewise, our office spaces are unduly cramped with two or more staff sharing some offices (and a couple tucked away in would-be closets). Some staff members work at home due to lack of office space.
     Four consecutive First Unitarian Boards have discussed and/or endorsed the need for a new master plan for our campus. In 2008, First Unitarian established the Building Planning Task Force. In 2009, the Task Force published a new 10-year Master Plan to address the needs of our growing congregation working with our UUA consultant, Barry Finkelstein, and architect, Doug Heller of Mullen Heller Architecture. The Plan envisions a new sanctuary building, a new meeting/office/RE building to replace the Arnold/Wesson wing, and improved parking. The Congregation approved the new Master Plan in January 2010.
     Due to state of the economy in 2010, the Board postponed starting a capital campaign for one year. In late 2010, the board established “Building Planning Task Force 2”. This Task Force used the approved Master Plan and study documents to develop scenarios for a building project (including incremental costs and possibilities for staging). Task Force 2 engaged the Congregation in discussions about their work and based on these conversations, the Congregation voted in February 2011 to proceed with a capital campaign.
     After receipt of a positive Financial Feasibility Study (conducted in March 2011 by our UUA consultant, Barry Finkelstein), the Board commissioned two groups, the Capital Campaign Committee and the Design & Construction Team to move forward with plans for fundraising and with the design of Phase I of the project.