How will Parish life be different thanks to the Parish Life Center/Gym? 

The Parish Life Center/Gymnasium will include a bright and modern gymnasium, beautiful spaces for events, a full kitchen, outdoor play areas and a spectacular view of Elliott Bay and downtown Seattle.  It will be a hub of activity for students, children, parents, singles, families, seniors and our entire community.  More than a gym, more than a meeting hall, the Parish Life Center/Gym will benefit every person in our parish and everyone in our community for generations to come.

Why do we need more gathering space?

Our parish has no suitable space to hold large events and activities that can further unite and involve our parishioners and our community.  We envision the new building as a place that hums nearly ’round the clock, every day of the week, each week of the year, with active, engaged people of all ages.  Not only will parishioners be able to enjoy Parish-wide activities in the new meeting space, they also will be able to reserve the new meeting space for their own private events such as wedding receptions and anniversary parties. We are now forced to turn away an average of three of these kinds of activities each month because there is no place to hold them.

Why do we need a gym?

Today, students at OLG School walk two blocks for physical education classes to the High Point Community Center, which charges us $5,000 a year in rental fees. Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) sports teams have to scramble to rent expensive space for practices, often being forced to settle for late-evening hours.  A modern, on-site gymnasium will allow us to provide a better-rounded education to students while helping to attract new families to the OLG School. The gym also can be open to sports, recreational and social activities for teens and adults in our Parish.

What opportunities will exist for us to serve the greater good of our community?

Our caring parish enjoys sharing God’s blessings in their lives through service to others, such as the annual dinner hosted and served by OLG students for seniors in the West Seattle community. We also look forward to new ministries and service projects that can use the Parish Life Center/Gymnasium to serve God and our community.

How will we raise the entire $4.2 million we need?

The majority of the funds will come from our own parish faithful. This includes the gifts and pledges that we are currently requesting; $300,000 in gifts and pledges remaining from our 2007 campaign; and an $800,000 bequest from the estate of long-time parishioner Michael Hession. We are also actively seeking out grants, in-kind contributions, corporate partnerships, non-parish philanthropy and other funding. And, we may secure funding and/or loans from the Archdiocese.

The parish has asked us to make “a personally significant contribution” to the campaign. What does that mean?

Each individual and family must look into their hearts and examine their personal financial situation to decide how much to contribute. We are encouraging you to stretch and to sacrifice in deciding what your role will be as we work together to build a legacy for our parish. If every OLG member household pledged $139 a month over three years (for a total $5,000 contribution), we would easily reach our goal. Some will have the capacity to give more, others less. But we encourage everyone to donate at a level that is meaningful to you.

May we pledge over more than three years?

The more quickly we raise funds, the less our burden of debt will be in the future. So we hope most people will complete their pledges in three years or less. For those who want to give at a higher level but can do so only by spreading their donation over more time, we will welcome a longer commitment if necessary.

Why did you ask people to pledge by December 5?

In order to move forward with our building plans, permitting and construction schedule, we must be able to prove to the diocese that we have raised more than half the cost from our membership. We also will be actively seeking grants to support our fundraising effort, and an early 100% participation rate from our parish will bolster our success with grantmakers. We urge you to make your pledge as soon as possible.

I donated to the capital campaign in 2007. Does this count as my participation in Building for Our Future?

Thank you! There were 68% of parish households that contributed to the 2007 campaign, donating $2.4 million toward a total master plan fundraising goal of $6+ million. Those 2007 funds allowed us to develop detailed architectural plans for our parish campus, to build the Pastoral Center and to reserve approximately $300,000 for the Parish Life Center/Gym. The Building for Our Future Campaign will fund the next phase of the master plan, so we are once again turning to our parish for support – those who donated in the first campaign as well as new contributors and friends. We are determined to succeed in raising $4.2 million to complete our Parish Life Center/ Gymnasium and we will continue to encourage your support for however long it may take to reach that goal.

Why are we launching phase two of the master plan now?

We believe there is no better time than today.  We have a growing and faithful parish alive with people who choose to belong here and who are ready to take this important next step for our next 50 years and beyond.  We have a vibrant West Seattle community that will welcome and benefit from this new opportunity to serve the greater good.  And, we are well timed to take advantage of lower costs for construction materials.  We believe our parish and our community are eager to support this initiative.

How is parish life different today thanks to the new Pastoral Center?

The building has brought great improvements to parish operations as well as to the day-to-day lives of parishioners.  Busy and active, the center allows us to conduct the business of the Parish efficiently and effectively, to provide private counseling to parishioners, and to host small meetings and events.  Dozens of community organizations also take advantage of the new meeting space.

Was the new Pastoral Center built efficiently?

Absolutely.  The Parish Finance Council and our Building Committee closely monitored expenses throughout the construction process.  We adjusted the project budget as needed to keep costs in check and to stay on target.  Detailed explanations of those costs are available by emailing campaign@olgfuture.org.

Why didn’t we build the Parish Life Center/Gym before the Pastoral Center?

Many people who donated to the first campaign believed the Parish Life Center/Gym would be built before our new administrative center.  We did, too.  But the dilapidated 50-year-old building that housed our Parish offices fell into further disrepair and demanded immediate attention.  We believed it was the most cost efficient and responsible move to build the Pastoral Center first.  We regret that we may not have communicated these needs as effectively as we could have when the decision was made.

What opportunities exist for parishioners to be involved?

We want more than your money.  We want your ideas, your enthusiasm, your passion and your involvement in helping us build our parish community, not just build a parish building.  We invite everyone to be a part of planning and launching our next 50 years.  We’re looking for parishioners to volunteer for activities like planning and conducting campaign events and celebrations, seeking out partnerships and in-kind participation, shaping activities for the new building, and much more.

Who is helping us with the building project?

Richard Glasman, owner and principal of MG Architecture, is designing and managing the project. Richard's firm also designed our Parish Life Center and has been working with OLG on our master campus plan off and on for the past five years. Richard has worked with more than a dozen different Catholic parishes since MG Architecture was founded in 2002. Those projects include baptismal fonts, campus master plans, seismic upgrades, a church addition and new a gym at St. George. MG Architecture also did the Parish Center renovations and new chapel at Holy Rosary. We are very fortunate to have Richard and MG Architecture as part of the Building for Our Future team!

What are the green elements of the building?

As a faith community, we are committed to saving and stewarding God's earth and natural resources. We are now beginning to explore all the options to make our new building as environmentally sound as budget will allow. Stay tuned down the road for more details.

How big will the gym court be?

Good news! At 50 feet by 78 feet, plans call for our new court to be larger than the minimum requirements set forth by CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) for middle schools. The "overruns" (the space between the hoops and the walls) will be wider than required.  If you'd like to get an idea of the size of our gym floor, Our Lady of Fatima has the same size gym but with smaller overruns. Bleachers in OLG's new gym will accommodate up to 168 people, and we will also have the option to bring in even more portable seating. We look forward to hosting games and tournaments for the 2012 basketball season!

How many people will the banquet and reception areas accommodate?

The gym will accommodate banquet seating up to 350 people. The stage area/meeting room – which will feature beautiful views of the Sound and downtown Seattle – can hold between 75 and 90 people.

How will parking and school drop-off/pick-up be affected, during and after construction?

Our plans call for construction to begin in June 2011 and for a lower parking lot and thruway to be built first, before any other building begins. People will be able to continue to park for Mass during construction and school drop-offs and pick-ups will not be disrupted once the new school year begins. The new building and construction will result in the loss of three total parking spaces, but we are also planning for an unpaved overflow lot. The south parking lot will be designated for our older or disabled parishioners who need to park as close as possible to the church. And finally, we are reviewing options to create a passenger drop-off area on 35th Avenue Southwest right in front of the church.

I have an electrical subcontracting business and would like to make an in-kind donation to the building. How can I do that?

Thank you! Send us your contact info and we'll provide it to our architect.  Early next spring, work will begin to select a general contractor for the project and the architect will provide the selected contractor with your info. Ultimately, the general contractor will choose his/her subcontractors. We are already working on a proactive plan to secure and manage in-kind donations and will develop a list of specifications for needed items – for example, kitchen equipment, gymnasium bleachers, lighting, chairs and tables, etc. – early next year.