#BuildSFA Update January 2021
We celebrate the New Year and new term and are continuing the design and approvals process for our school redevelopment project. To keep within our budget constraints our current vision for the school is to build a new wing with an added classroom and multi-use space for music and after-school club, administration space and a new standard-sized elementary gymnasium. After completion we would complete a basic seismic upgrade of the existing school block. This design concept would create many benefits for the children with more that twice our current square footage and it would allow us to retire our ‘temporary’ portable Grade 2 classroom and open the front of the school to outside play space.
We have shared this design scheme with the Directors of Construction Renewal and Finance at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver (RCAV) who were positive and approved the project to move to the next stage of review and approval within the Archdiocese which is the Building Commission. This volunteer board has been created by the RCAV to help parishes achieve success and is comprised of Parishioners from around the region who are current or former builders and trades who are experienced in infrastructure renewal and are in place to help to assure the viability of projects and the accuracy of budgets of the various school renewal projects with the Greater Vancouver area. Once we have acted on any recommendations of the Building Commission, we would then go the RCAV Finance Counsel to secure and finalise the terms of our project financing including final mortgage amounts required and the final number that would need to be raised via a St. Francis of Assisi Capital Campaign. This is an iterative process as the final budget will impact the final design and we expect it to take several months. When this has been completed to the satisfaction of the Parish and the RCAV the project receives final approval – or Approval in Principle – from Archbishop Miller to proceed.
In the interim, we have received final permission from RCAV to proceed with selling the convent site. We will be meeting with the St. Francis of Assisi Parish Leadership Team next week to review the conditions of the sale after which we expect the property will be listed. We are not planning on putting up a sign, but we will keep you informed of the progress. The sale of this land will form the cornerstone of our Capital Campaign which cannot commence until the sale is secure and the financing discussions with the Archdiocese have been agreed.
These small steps are all positive, but we still have many more to come with an expected planning and development timeline of about 2 years. We thank you and the many parents who have already graduated from our school for the continued commitment and enthusiasm to Build our School for the Future.
If you are looking for ways to connect with the Campaign or are looking for more information please check our new school building webpage.
Wishing you a most blessed and joyful Christmas,
Father Eugenio Aloisio
Pastor
Mrs. Anne Yam
Principal
