New Church Project Update: Major Planning Milestones Complete, Design Advances

Over the past two weeks, the New Church project reached a major milestone with the completion of the 50% Design Development drawings with 100% completion expected in August 2026. This milestone represents the first comprehensive set of plans that define the church layout, major building systems, site design, and key materials in enough detail for contractors to begin preparing reliable construction cost estimates. While "50%" may sound as though the project is only halfway through the design process, it is actually a significant step in the architectural and construction process because it marks the point at which years of planning, analysis, and decision-making have been translated into a coordinated design that can be priced, refined, and advanced toward final construction documents.

During that time, the Building Committee and its partners have worked through a number of complex questions that directly impact the future of our campus. These included evaluating the potential purchase of property north of the current site, whether the Field of Dreams property to the south might need to be sold to support financing, assessing potential funding scenarios, and considering how each of these decisions would influence the long-term development of the campus.

At the same time, the parish worked closely with the City of Raleigh to understand requirements for improvements along Lead Mine Road and how those requirements could affect site design, access, traffic flow, project costs, and future expansion opportunities. As new information became available, the team repeatedly evaluated different site layouts and development options to ensure that decisions made today would not limit the parish's options tomorrow.

The completion of the 50% Design Development drawings is significant because it reflects greater clarity around many of the site planning, infrastructure, and long-term campus development considerations that have shaped the project. Rather than advancing a design that might later require substantial revisions, the parish has taken the time to carefully evaluate site constraints, infrastructure requirements, future campus needs, and a variety of development scenarios. With this work informing the design process, the project can now move forward with increased confidence, providing a solid foundation for final design work, construction pricing, permitting, and ultimately construction itself.

Construction manager Clancy Theys is currently collecting proposals from grading, site work, and construction trades, with preliminary cost estimates expected later this month. These estimates will help the parish evaluate costs and identify opportunities for savings and efficiencies before the design is finalized.

The site development process also continues to move forward. The mass grading permit has been submitted to the City of Raleigh, and after responding to questions from two reviewing departments, the plans have been resubmitted for approval. This permit is one of the first major approvals needed to prepare the property for construction, allowing activities such as earthwork, drainage improvements, and site preparation. Current projections continue to anticipate site grading beginning in October.

Planning for the church interior is also advancing. Architect Evans Caruso is scheduled to visit Raleigh in late June to meet with the design and interior committees as work continues on shaping the look and feel of the new sanctuary.

Internally, the executive team is also working to strengthen how information is shared with the parish. This includes building out a clearer communications plan, updating the campaign website, identifying the best ways to share regular progress updates, and coordinating messages across parish channels such as the bulletin, listserv, website, and in-person announcements. The goal is to provide consistent, transparent updates so parishioners can understand not only what is happening, but why each step matters.

As the project moves from planning into detailed design, fundraising and financial planning efforts continue to advance alongside the technical work. Leadership teams remain focused on donor outreach, stewardship conversations, financing strategies, and ensuring that the parish is well-positioned for the next stages of construction. With significant matching funds still available, every gift continues to play an important role in helping bring the vision for our new church to reality.

The next Executive Committee meeting is scheduled for June 23.