HTGOC Frequently Asked Questions

Q:        Why don’t we be the Contractor and subcontract all the pieces of construction out so we save money?  We should be able to save maybe 20% on construction costs.

A:        We could control the construction and subcontract work to keep cost down.  However, this would require a full time person who is knowledgeable in construction working on behalf of the church coordinating and scheduling all the contractors.  Another concern is scheduling – if there are multiple contractors waiting for certain work to get completed we could delay and create schedule impacts if this is not managed properly.  The true costs for subcontractor markup are 10% on average, but you are paying for someone else to manage this and control the work schedule.

Q:        Will we need a Fire Sprinkler System?

A:        We have worked to design the sanctuary and hall just small enough to avoid a costly sprinkler system.

Q:        Wouldn’t a sprinkler system be cheaper to have for tax purposes?

A:        A simple cost benefit analysis was done to answer this question.  It was determined that the savings to taxes would be minimal.  Cost to install a sprinkler system would be extremely high considering the well water system we are currently on.  In order to have a cost effective sprinkler system we would need to be on a regular city water system.

Q:        How is the Dome going to be constructed?  Will it be fire rated?

A:        The Dome will sit on normal beam and column construction.  The Dome itself will be constructed of a hard plastic shell with solid foam core interior.  The same material is used to fabricate small structures for remote Alaskan locations.  This will allow us to fabricate the Dome in one piece, keeping the overall weight and cost down to a minimum.  It is also easy to paint and extremely tough!

Q:        What is the cost?

A:        Recent Estimates (May 2007) from our Architect and a private Contractor have estimated our project at $2.5 to $2.7 Million or approximately $300 per square foot for the construction of our church building, all grading, landscaping, and parking area.  We will be working with our Architect and selecting a Contractor to bring costs down.  This may require a considerable change to the projects scope to allow for our community to afford this project.

Q:        How was the church site chosen?

A:        During the original design of a church and hall it was determined that the most favorable location for a church would be in the Southeast corner of our undeveloped lot.  This location was chosen due to its high elevation compared to the rest of the undeveloped lot, its distance from noisy O’Malley Road is favorable, and it allows good parking and pedestrian flow from the existing building.

Q:        What are the costs of the design, permitting, and fundraising effort?

A:        Costs for complete design are $160,000, for permitting are $5,000, and for fundraising are approximately $5000.

Q:        What are the costs for maintaining a new church?

A:        Based on current utility costs (Oct 2006) our costs to maintain a church are between $25,000 and $30,000 per year.

Q:        How are we going to pay for these additional costs along with our current bills?

A:        Our Parish Council will begin a new Stewardship campaign the focuses on true Christian Stewardship of Time, Talent, and Treasure.  These efforts will help keep costs down with our volunteer work and stewardship we provide.  We also have seen consistent income with our car raffle, which, once the church is constructed, can go to maintaining the church.

Q:        Why don’t we have an elevator in the design? 

A:        Due to initial costs as well as long term maintenance costs it was decided that this item was a want instead of a need.  There is access to the Sanctuary as well as the Hall with at-grade access.

Q:        What about Iconography, who will work on it?

A:        At this time we have not identified an individual or individuals that will paint iconography for the new church.  This will be worked on in 2007.

Q:        I’ve heard that the Rasmussen Foundation contributed to the Russian Orthodox Museum and the Jewish Cultural Center.  Could we receive a grant for our church on this project?

A:        We are looking into this.  At present it would seem that to receive a grant for our community will need to involve our culture and not our faith.  This may be difficult to prove considering we are constructing a church, but it is worth a shot.  More to come.