Good news (we hope) – the Hopewell Township Planning Board meeting, where the application for approval of our Site Plan will be considered, will be held virtually on Thursday, April 23.

We expect to have nearly final architectural plans that include Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing (MEP) in the next few days and will initiate the search for a contractor. Although we had hoped to have a church-wide information session to show the detailed plans and answer questions at this point, we can’t really do that via Zoom. We will plan to hold such a session as soon as we can schedule it live at church.

Our optimistic goal was to have a ceremonial groundbreaking on June 7 immediately following the Annual Meeting, with construction beginning on June 8, and the entire project projected to be complete by January 2021. We will adjust these dates when we are released from “Sanctuary in Place” and can realistically plan construction timing. Hopefully, groundbreaking will happen in early fall at the latest.

The main paved parking lot will be out of use for the congregation for about the first three months after construction begins. For now, no programs that require the use of the kitchen or Crossings Room should be scheduled between June 2020 and end of January 2021. That timeline may shift….

Financial summary: 57 households have pledged new or continued support in the ongoing Phase 2 campaign so far, totaling about $174,000 in new pledges. Thank you so very much everyone!!!

Jayme Trott and Susan Vigilante
Co-Chairs, Capital Campaign