a:27:{s:9:"weblog_id";s:1:"4";s:8:"entry_id";s:3:"285";s:6:"sticky";s:1:"n";s:14:"allow_comments";s:1:"n";s:16:"allow_trackbacks";s:1:"n";s:10:"entry_date";s:19:"2008-10-18 03:53 PM";s:15:"expiration_date";s:0:"";s:23:"comment_expiration_date";s:0:"";s:8:"category";a:2:{i:0;s:1:"4";i:1;s:2:"25";}s:9:"author_id";s:1:"2";s:10:"new_weblog";s:1:"4";s:6:"status";s:4:"open";s:14:"trackback_urls";s:0:"";s:18:"versioning_enabled";s:1:"y";s:5:"title";s:68:"Catholic Archdiocese Spends $15-$20 Million Per Year on Construction";s:9:"url_title";s:66:"catholic_archdiocese_spends_15_20_million_per_year_on_construction";s:6:"submit";s:6:"Update";s:11:"field_id_26";s:68:"Catholic Archdiocese Spends $15-$20 Million Per Year on Construction";s:11:"field_ft_26";s:4:"none";s:11:"field_id_31";s:0:"";s:11:"field_id_44";s:191:"In good times and bad, the Archdiocese of St. Louis spends, on average $15 million a year on construction, an article in this week\'s St. Louis Review, the Archdiocese\'s newspaper, reported.";s:11:"field_ft_44";s:4:"none";s:11:"field_id_28";s:0:"";s:11:"field_ft_28";s:4:"none";s:11:"field_id_29";s:4422:"<p>In good times and bad, the Archdiocese of St. Louis spends, on average $15 million a year on construction, an article in this week\'s <em>St. Louis Review, </em>the Archdiocese\'s newspaper, reported.</p>
<p>There are between 10 and 20
building projects going on in the St.
Louis Archdiocese at any one time,
according to Bob Palisch, manager
of archdiocesan building projects in
the Building and Real Estate Office.
<br />\"About 10 to 15 projects a year
are under contract, probably 15 to
20 are going on at any one time
with another two or three in some
stage of development,\" Palisch
said.
The Building and Real Estate
Office provides advice and consultation
for parishes in the 11-county
archdiocese seeking to build, enlarge
or renovate their facilities.
<br /><br /> The office also works with archdiocesan
and regional high schools
in their building projects.
<br /><br /> \"There is an average of $15 million
a year spent on construction
costs\" by archdiocesan entities,
Palisch said. \"That\'s not counting
land acquisitions.\"
<br /><br /> He added, \"It\'s been like this for
years.\"
<br /><br /> To assist parishes, the Building
and Real Estate Office has a list of
pre-approved architects and contractors
who can work with them.
<br /><br /> Tom Richter, director of the
Building and Real Estate Office,
explained, \"We set up parishes and
schools contemplating construction
with three architects to interview
separately. They pick one. Then the
parish usually starts fundraising activities
and figures out what their
budget is.\"
<br /><br /> <img alt=\"Sacred Heart Valley Park\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"167\" src=\"/images/uploads/sacred-heart.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"250\" />Parishes usually do that with the
help of the Archdiocesan Finance
Office. David Fairchild of that office
explained, \"We\'re the lender. ...
By statute a parish cannot borrow
outside of the archdiocese, so the
St. Louis Archdiocesan Fund becomes
the lender.\"</p>
<h4>Father Denny Schaab, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Valley Park, consults with school principal Joan Wojciechowski, right, and Cheryl Degenhart, director of religious educati.on, in front of the new parish building, a 29,000-square-foot gym/auditorium, expected to be completed in April.</h4>
<p>Fairchild said, \"The Archdiocesan
Fund rule is to raise half of
what you need first, then come to
us. We don\'t loan out more than
half a project.\" If that doesn\'t happen,
\"we suggest cutting back on
the project or phasing it over time.\"
<br /><br /> Palisch said, \"There are about
12 projects right now under construction.
The two biggest are St.
Patrick in Wentzville, which is
building a new parish hall, and Sacred
Heart in Valley Park, which is
building a gym/auditorium.
<br /><br /> \"Our building is about 29,000
square feet,\" said Father Denny
Schaab, pastor of Sacred Heart
Parish. \"It includes a stage and gym
with two junior high
basketball/volleyball courts ... and
the school and religious education
offices, an all-day kindergarten
room, a music room and a faculty
lounge.\"
<br /><br /> Construction is slated to be
completed in April, and everyone
in the parish is excited, the pastor
said, especially at Sacred Heart
School.
<br /><br /> The school recently won its
third Physical Fitness State Champion
Award from the President\'s
Council on Physical Fitness and
Sports.
<br /><br /> \"And that\'s without a gym,\"
said Father Schaab. \"We have an
excellent physical education program
here, and they\'re very excited
about the gym.\"
<br /><br /> The new building will serve the
whole parish, Father Schaab said.
With 2,760 households, Sacred
Heart currently has no space large
enough to host a Confirmation reception
or other parish social functions.
<br /><br /> \"We\'ve been renting for our social
functions. So now we\'ll be able
to do everything on site,\" the pastor
said. \"And the gym will include
an elevated walking track, for
adults only that overlooks the gym
and has a separate entrance. This is
for the whole parish.\"
<br /><br /> Other current projects include a
new school at St. Joseph Parish in
Josephville; parking lot construction
at St. Paul in Fenton; a new
gym at St. Dominic High School in
O\'Fallon; interior renovations and
a new entrance to John F. Kennedy
Catholic High School in Manchester;
and major renovations to the
second floor of Kenrick-Glennon
Seminary in Shrewsbury.</p>";s:10:"category_0";s:1:"4";s:10:"category_1";s:2:"25";}