New Building Project Underway
Cannon Beach Conference Center has just received approval from the city to begin construction of a new building that will greatly benefit Ecola, and work on the structure is slated to begin this month. The new facility will house two great additions for us, an Ecola women's dorm, and a new home for Ecola's offices. Due to the size of this project, it will also be a great opportunity for alumni and friends of the school to work together to see a dream become reality.
Located between the A-frame and Anchorage, the structure will consist of two floors of about 3500 square feet each. The upper floor will be a new women's dorm housing 40 students. Each of the ten rooms will have a common area, a sleeping room with two bunk beds, and... a bath! When it opens in the fall of 2009, it will replace the Old Ecola dorm. We are grateful for this opportunity to provide our students with up-to-date, comfortable housing, which will be used for many years to come.
The lower floor will house the administrative offices of Ecola, as well as a classroom for the Internship in Ministry program. The office area will meet current needs for space, storage and training, and will allow for future growth in staffing and in the Internship program. It will be a great day when our two deans and their assistants move out of the single office they now share for more spacious quarters!
The project, which has been in development between the Conference Center and Ecola for about 2 years, was designed by architect Steve Winstead. Around the middle of last December the plans went to the city for design review. After further fine tuning they were submitted for building permits. The structural permit was granted April 3rd, clearing the way for work to begin. Construction will be headed up by Guy Williams, and will utilize both commercial and volunteer workers.
Work has already started on preliminary preparations. A survey crew has staked out the project, and excavators are starting to prepare parking areas. Conduit has been installed to carry power and other services to the new structure. By the time you read this, site work will be progressing, preparing for the foundation, which should be poured by June. Framing will continue through the summer, and the building should be closed in for winter by early fall. Completion is targeted for late spring, 2009.
Exciting Opportunities!
The new building has opened up wonderful opportunities for alumni and friends of Ecola to get involved in what God is doing here. If you've missed hanging out in Cannon Beach with friends from school, read on! This may just be the chance you've been hoping for, to reconnect with Ecola staff and friends while providing much needed help.
The first need, of course, is for prayer. Please join us in regular prayer for all aspects of construction, and particularly for safety for the builders. Also pray that God would provide financially. And pray for many workers to come and help. Because this is a large project, many volunteers will be needed. Those of you who are interested in taking part are encouraged to contact the Conference Center volunteer office. (See the end of this article for contact info.)
Because of the scale of this project, the financial impact will be significant. But what an exciting opportunity to see what God will do! Estimated costs range from $800,000 to $950,000 depending on how much labor is donated. Ecola is looking for the participation of many alumni and friends to help meet the costs of finishing and furnishing the new office and classroom areas.
We would welcome any kind of help that our friends may be able to offer. If you are able to participate financially, contributions can be made to either Ecola or the Conference Center. And there are creative ways to participate beyond the obvious cash gift. A donated vehicle or boat, for example, is not only tax deductible, but can help a great deal. Stocks are another way to give that is both deductible and very helpful. If God is leading you to get involved, we would be glad to hear from you.
For those interested in hands-on involvement, Steve Simer, volunteer coordinator at the Conference Center, would love to talk to you. His office number is 503-436-9619, or you can email: stevesimer@cbcc.net. He will have current information on needs, scheduling, and available housing. Volunteers who have their own camper or trailer and could stay at a nearby campground may have more options, since housing is always an issue in summer. Ecola also has several cabins which we are eager to put to work for the project as volunteer housing.
As I am sure you can tell, we are very excited about the potential of this new addition to our campus. By working together we can watch God turn a set of plans into an incredibly useful reality. Thank you in advance for however you are able to participate. Your investment will make a difference for many years to come, and ultimately, in eternity.
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