WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES PART 2

After a lot of research, I realized that the reason I had difficulty posting the tours I had recorded was a limitation on the size of each video. Now, after going back to the church I have broken down the tour into 2 videos showing the outside and one showing the main Nave. The first video begins in front of SPX School and shows the renovation that was completed over the summer including stone and brick work which replicates the look of our new church. In addition new windows were installed and the building painted giving it a new look that will give our campus a unified look. This video ends at the Bell Tower and Columbarium and our new front entrance.



The second part of the outside tour begins at the Bell Tower and ends with a view of the cloister from the back parking lot.



The last video was taken from the future location of our altar and gives a panoramic view of the Nave.

WHAT A DIFFENCE A YEAR MAKES

It's hard to believe it has been less than a year since the wrecking ball arrived on North Elm Street to begin demolition of our former church and office building. That's correct. It was December 29, 2008 when many of you lined Elm Street to watch the beginning of this journey to "MAKE A PLACE AT THE TABLE"

As the year comes to an end I thought I'd post a video from early 2009. I was a novice at blogging when all this began. In fact I didn't even know how to use the video on my camera. Guess it has to do with being in my 60s. In any case, I took a video of part of the grading and removal of trees. This first video is special because it captures one of the oaks that has been used to create the cross over our altar. Watch carefully as you can tell that trees don't always go where they should. I was standing at the Columbarium, just far enough away. The video is just over a minute, but be assured you want to watch until the end. Sorry about the quality but this was my first effort. I'm glad I took it.


I've been trying all day to post 4 more videos but have only been able to get one to download. Therefore, I'm breaking this video into 2 parts.

This is a walking tours through the church showing the status as we end the year without all the noise of the workers. It was taken on December 26th and begins at the entrance to the Day Chapel.



I have taken 3 additional videos which I hope to post later today as the second part.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

SNOW

A FEW IMAGES TAKEN TODAY OF FRIDAY'S SNOWFALL!

THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS

It's Wednesday, December 16th and I decided to take my camera and visit our future home. As I arrived there weren't a large number of workers around, BUT the work being performed is making a difference. Not only did I find some video worth taking, I found some wonderful opportunities to photograph the sun coming in through the upper windows. Even with all the work taking place, you can begin to see the how light will affect our church during different times of day. The other photograph shows workers from Statesville Stain Glass installing the frames and protective glass.


The first video was taking showing the work being performed by the brick masons as they top off the last columns of the cloister. This will enable the remainder of the framing to be installed as well on the roofing.


The second video shows the frames and protective glass being installed on the remaining windows along the Elm Street Frontage. If all goes well, all the frames and protective glass along the north wall will be in place this week.

LATEST VIDEO TOURS AND PHOTOGRAPHS

After several weeks with no new posts, I've added three new videos. The first one shows work taking place on the cloister as the brick columns gets closer to completion while work on the roof and framing continues.


The second video shows our stone masons hard at work in the Narthex installing the base around the columns which support the sky light.



The third and final video shows work taking place in the Day Chapel. Workers are painting the side walls as you can see more work that has been completed on the stone and brick wall.



In addition to the videos, I've attached photos of the outside north wall which has been completed except for installation of windows which will begin this week. Also shown is the updated progress on the inside north wall as it nears completion, tile being installed in the bathrooms, and work on the cloister.

DUELING PAINTERS AND THE CLOISTER TAKES SHAPE

What better way to spend a raining Tuesday, then to download new videos. The first video was taken inside our new church passing from through the Narthex showing all the painters (17 in all) working on what is normally a day off. By the end of the day, they had painted over 90% of the beams that support our ceiling.



The second video shows the brick and stone masons hard at work on the columns that will provide the structure for our 12 ft. wide sidewalk and gathering place. Hopefully within the next week, all the stone and brick will be in place.



We had a lift available last week so we took the opportunity to take photographs showing our church at a much higher level. Lastly is a photograph showing how the ceiling looks as painting progresses.

A VISIT BY SPX STUDENTS

Something NEW and EXCITING happened at the construction site of St. Pius X on Thursday. Over 400 excited students got a first hand look at what was taking place inside. They listened as Msgr. Marcaccio talked about our new church and then each class wrote favorite scriptures on four walls where the Stations of the Cross will be placed. After writing their scripture selections, each class member signed his/her name. Their signatures will be preserved as part of our "Place at the Table". Hope you enjoy watching the video clips and some still photos from Thursday activities.

This clip shows the first group of students arriving!


In the second clip Monseyor Marcaccio explains what the students are doing and how their signatures will be preserved.


Do you think this student is excited??


Did you ever wonder how tall our new church will be?


How many seats will we have?


Students Everywhere



ENJOY THE COLLAGE OF PHOTOS FROM THURSDAY'S VISIT!!!!!

FIRST VIDEO TOUR

Major efforts are underway as we "MAKE A PLACE AT THE TABLE", but its very difficult to capture with regular photographs. Therefore today, I begin a new feature where I walk through the construction and let you watch as our new church begins to take shape. I will be posting 3 different videos in this first posting.

The first video was taken as I walked from the Parking through the mud (we had 3/4 inches of rain last night) to the cloister and the front entrance.




The second video begins just inside the front doors and walks from the Narthex into the Nave. The workers you will see are spraying sealer on the ceiling.




The third video was taken beginning at the rear of our church near the entrance to the Day Chapel. All the windows you see have the protective glass installed and our restored Stained Glass Windows will be installed near the end of construction.

PROGRESS CONTINUES

HVAC UNITS ARE STORED IN PARKING LOT


THEN THE UNITS ARE MOVED TO THE BASEMENT

THE PERMANENT HOME FOR THE HVAC SYSTEM

CLOISTER BEGINS

CLOISTER COLUMNS CONTINUE

SHEETROCK BEING TAKEN INTO CHURCH

SHEETROCK AND INSULATION AWAITING INSTALLATION

SKYLIGHT GOES UP AS PREP WORK CONTINUES FOR SHINGLES

INSULATION COMPLETED IN MAIN NAVE AND AWAITS SHEETROCK

INSULATION AND SHEETROCK GOES UP IN CHOIR PRACTICE ROOM

LAST OUTSIDE STONE WALL BEGINS

VIEW SHOWING WINDOW FRAMES IN CHOIR PRACTICE ROOM

FRONT VIEW FROM DRIVEWAY

THE FRONT ENTRANCE SHINES AS WE CELEBRATE LABOR DAY

As we began the LABOR DAY weekend, I stopped by the construction of SPX and found a beautiful sight. The long awaited cross over the front entrance to our church was completed earlier in the week. Today with the scaffolding removed the view we will be enjoying for years is evident in all its glory.

Since "Making a Place at the Table" has been a labor of love and sacrifice for so many people, it seemed fitting to provide a Photo Essay showing the construction of the cross. I'd like to start this Post with a special Thank You to one company and several individuals. First to John Lewandowski, our architect, for his design that replicated the Cross that stood for years in front of our church. Second to Pine Hall Brick for donating the custom made brick. Third, to Eddie Land, a church member, whose company meticulously laid each brick in place over a two week period.


After installing the stone up to the base of the cross, the brick began to go up.



Since each brick was customed designed and a different shape. Therefore, they were laid out on the platform first before beginning to apply the mortar to be sure of the design. Even with the precision with which the bricks were crafted, there was still some work that had to be done before the installation.



With the help of Rentenbach, we were able to get some interesting views of the construction.



On Saturday, with the scaffolding removed, you can see the beauty that will live on.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL...

This was the last week of construction before SPX School opens for the fall semester next week. The construction zone looked like bees flying around a hive as workers attempted to get as much work done as possible and to clean up the parking lot for Monday’s first carpool line. None of the sub contractors who are working now have ever experienced morning and afternoon pickup and even though we’ve tried to explain the process, nothing can truly prepare them for that first day. We had considerable good news this week, but what will help the most is that we have gravel down in the parking lot which enables us to begin storing materials there instead of the back parking lot and also to remove our sediment pond and finish installing the new parking lot. In addition, with the ceiling completely installed and all the framing of the walls completed that also frees up much needed space.

As graduation took place, our church was just a skeleton of steel as shown in the photographs below.

Now its almost totally enclosed with the roof insulation and roof itself scheduled to start going up the first day of class.

I’d be remiss, if I didn’t show a photo of SPX School prior to the renovations

and the way it looks as school begins. The last post (Thanks Stephanie Skordas for an excellent story) goes into detail of the work that took place, but this is the way it looks as a completed project. Thanks to Rentenbach Contractors for pulling off a miracle by completing this remodeling in record time. Also thanks to the SPX staff for their patience as work was taking place right up to the day of Open Houses.

Saint Pius X School gets spruced up too

While you're driving by on Elm Street admiring the soaring heights of the new Saint Pius X Catholic Church and marveling at well, how church-y it's looking, don't forget to glance over at Saint Pius X Catholic School too. You might do a double-take.

The school started a spruce up project that began on June 25th and is slated to wrap up before students return on August 24th. Here's what you'll see:

• New tan paint to blend with the church's color scheme
• Stone facing on columns to match the stone structure of the church
• New entryway
• Improved handicapped-accessible door on the side of the school with remote access and security camera
• New energy-efficient windows with ecclesiastical points to match the church

"The new windows replace windows that are original to the school," says Principal Anne Knapke. "Not only are they more energy-efficient, but they are also tinted which will minimize the greenhouse effect some of those front classrooms faced in the afternoons." Knapke says the new windows should show an effect on the school's energy bills too.

In order to see some other improvements, you'll have to check out the building from Cornwallis Avenue. A group of volunteer parents and Duke Energy employees have improved and extended two retaining walls near the playground in a three-week construction project. The playground improvements have been spearheaded by parishioner and SPX parent John Walsh, a Duke Energy engineer and paid for mostly via a Duke Energy foundation grant with some additional funding from the PTO.

The whole school update project is a sister project made possible by the school's capital improvement fund and savings, and does not come from the Making A Place At The Table pledges. But the school was able to take advantage of the proximity of the Rentenbach Construction contractors to get this work done at reduced rates and before the school year begins.

"The overall improvements make the school look 25 years younger," Knapke says. "Our school looks more inviting and has great curb appeal from the road."

Have you seen the SPX school improvements? What do you think? We'd love to see your comments below.

IT'S HARD TO SEE, BUT THE WORK CONTINUES

We had another another very productive week on site. If you’ve been by, the look of the church hasn’t changed much because most of their efforts were inside. The installation of the ceiling and protective plywood and tarpaper continued.

The framing continued on the inside and outside with the window openings along the top of the Nave clearly visible.

Preparation for pouring the concrete floor in the Day Chapel and back of the Nave was completed as seen in the photo above.

The concrete trucks arrived at 6:30 AM on Monday and the pouring of the floors previously mentioned began. It took all day to get the finished look on the floors. Now the framing can begin in these areas.