Devshirme

We are putting a link up on the Cathedral site (see column to the right) from the Family Center page to here – the idea is that you can check out the photos from the construction.  This is good motivation for me to post frequently.  Further motivation is provided by our new MacBook computer.  I finally made the transition to becoming a Mac person, and I am loving it.  On to the pictures:

This photo is from the upstairs classrooms in the auditorium and it shows the new ductwork being put in:

And here is a view of the entry to the foyer from the hall – check out the framed arch:

Here are a few more.  This picture shows the new windows from the outside:

The “festival stairs” in the back have been replaced with a new set.  Instead of the nasty old fake turf stuff they have composite flooring that never needs to be painted or anything.  They were also designed so we can slide under them with the forklift to move them. 

Chris F. told me an interesting story recently.  He recalled a time early in his childhood when the Tonna Room at the Cathedral had no carpet.  He mentioned that there was a crest or family seal or something in the middle of the room embedded or inscribed in the tile.  No one else seems to have a memory of this nor of there ever not being a carpet in the room.  I am fascinated by this – if such a thing exists I think we should have it visible.  There are plans to overhaul the Tonna Room in one of the next stages, but Al, Charlie and I decided to do a little detective work the other day.  Al and Charlie both doubted there was even tile under the carpet, and so we peeled back a piece of rug and discovered that there is indeed 9″x9″ tile under there.  Is there a seal in the middle of the room?  We will have to wait to discover that, but if anyone has any memory of this please comment.

I have often said – if we get nothing out of this remodeling but new windows then that is great.  Windows have now been replaced in both the church basement and in the auditorium.  The auditorium was basically a sieve the past few winters, with heating bills between 7-12k each month.  The new windows should change all of that.  This picture is from the inside.  As I was driving away yesterday I noticed the view from the front – the windows are striking – but at that point was not going to pull over to take a picture.  I will try to snap one today and post it later. 

Here are a couple of photos from the church basement, of which half is being turned into classrooms.  It is amazing to see it all coming together – every day there is something different.

I am happy to say that in addition to the usual demolition pictures I have some actual pictures of construction.  First off, the latest shot of the foyer area:

This view is outside of the foyer area, looking down along the Russell St. front of the auditorium.  I saw the backhoe and thought – finally!  The city is fixing the sidewalks.  But it was actually our construction crew digging to put in new pipes:

And some actual construction!  This is the church basement – half of it is being turned into classroom space.  Note especially the ceiling, which has been concealed by a drop ceiling for many years:

Again, the latest.  Yesterday Johnny, Nick and Mark helped the Food Pantry Crew move all of the pantry stuff back into the stage area – the Food Pantry is again open for business:

Here is a picture of the rooms with the walls in between torn down.  Eventually this will be an open view of the park from the auditorium, with dividers so that meetings or small functions can be held in the rooms:

And the view from the foyer area:

Demolition and renovation continue.  Here are some of the latest pictures from my trusty, out-of-date cell phone:

This view of the auditorium from where the stage used to be gives you an idea of the disruption – you can see stuff piled up on the ground as well as on the balcony, as well as the plastic draping where the work is being done:

This is the view from the Tonna Room into the foyer and auditorium.  The curtains are almost always closed (except at festival time) so most people don’t even remember that the walls are glass:

We demolished the pre-school classrooms and are converting part of the church basement into new classrooms.  Part of this is the replacement of the basement windows with new windows that actually close.  They slide open to the sides and seal nicely.  This picture is not what the final product will look like – there will be screens and a protective lattice that will feature Grecian Keys along the top:

Here are some more pictures from the renovation.  First up – the foyer/bathroom area:

And the stage demolition in…well, stages:

The stage in particular was a real bear to take apart.  All of this is, of course, quite disruptive – I am out of an office for a couple of months, among other things -but well worth it.  More pictures to follow.

And the work continues.  Here are some more pictures of the extensive work begun Monday at the Cathedral.  Here is my denuded office, cleared of everything except the books, which have been covered.

Here is a view of the auditorium with stuff piled everywhere – many thanks to the GOYAns and college kids who lugged everything around for several days.

This sad picture shows the food pantry minus all the food.  The good news, though, is that the Orthodox Food Pantry will continue to run every Saturday out of the same building, and when the project is done it will have its own space, complete with a refrigerator – one feature which it does not currently have.

This is an airlock for the rooms where asbestos was found.  Asbestos is only a danger when it is removal time, so the rooms were secured and the stuff was all vacuumed out.  Ray, the project director, calls suprises such as the finding of asbestos “ghosts” because they pop up unexpectedly.

Demolition of the old bathrooms and foyer area:

This last picture shows one of the rooms which will now be opened up for a full view of the park.