The Future Facilities Task Force and its charter and mission from the Board of Trustees was introduced in the October 3, 2024 newsletter. Since then the task force has been meeting weekly and on October 22 sent a “Request for Proposal (RFP)” to 6 consulting firms. These firms were selected after some preliminary exploration and discussions about their credentials, expertise and practices relative to our task force’s mission.
The RFP asks consultants to propose their approach, a timeline and a price for conducting the following work:
* Assess the needs and wants of the congregation relative to the current and future desired spaces. — Engage directly with UUCC members, staff and other stakeholders via interviews, workshops, focus groups or other methods to gain feedback on facility needs.
* Consider the following alternatives: — Evaluate the Shaker building’s current spaces and utilization and determine how it might be modified, repurposed and renovated to better fit the congregation’s needs. — *Explore the feasibility of such a renovation versus partially tearing down or completely rebuilding the facility to better meet the identified needs. __ Provide cost estimates, benefits and risks for each alternative and provide an overall recommendation.
* Develop a phased implementation plan that minimizes disruptions and aligns with UUCC’s financial capabilities. The consultants are required to submit their proposals no later than November 5, 2024.
The task force will then evaluate the proposals and conduct interviews with those consultants whose proposals best align with our needs. After we make a decision and select the winning bidder we will negotiate an agreement with that consultant and finalize the schedule. The task force envisions a tentative timeline of approximately 10-12 weeks for the consulting work to be conducted, although we are also asking the consultants to give their guidance regarding how much time will be required. In addition to opportunities for congregants and stakeholders to engage and participate in the process as noted above, the task force will continue to communicate, via this newsletter and other channels, the progress and milestones as the project proceeds.
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