Redevelopment Congregation Workshop
April 24, 2010 & May 2, 2010

INTRO:
The Redevelopment Design Team (RDT) has spent the past month meeting with various user groups in order to discuss their space needs now and in the future. This information is critical as the congregation must decide what needs/wants it is prepared to fund in a redevelopment. With a current building cost of $230 per square foot, we must take a fresh look at what space we need and what we are prepared to afford. This should be done in conjunction with our Ministry Plan since it is our mission that should be the driving force behind determining what space we need.
It is crucial that RDT receive its ‘space’ mandate as soon as possible so that the redevelopment project can continue to move forward. We must first know from the congregation: what space does our ministry need us to provide?
DISCUSSION POINTS:
Youth Group/Church School:
What We Learned:
Both programs are capable of sharing space but need dedicated storage. The Youth Group is a function of all 3 United Churches and meets at KUC once a week. If needed, we could explore the possibility of the Youth Group meeting at one of the other United churches but KUC is central to all. The Church School requires space only on Sundays (at this time). The current Youth space is adequate for their needs (about 400 sq ft.) and the Church School appreciates the natural light they get on the 2nd floor.
What We Need to Know:
Not much – given that both programs are once a week occurrences, we can clearly accommodate them. Consideration should be given to the new Godly Play initiative in that perhaps the Church School should have dedicated space to start – this can always be reviewed at a later date.
Music Program:
What We Learned:
The current music rehearsal room is awkward and accessibility is an issue. The current storage for the bells tables is adequate although its current shape makes storage a little difficult. While participants in the various music programs do not need dedicated practice space, they do need lockable storage (storage for the bells needs to be near the Sanctuary) and a room of approximately 600 sq. feet with a piano. This space can be shared with other users when not in use by music groups. Further, there is a desire to take a fresh look at the Sanctuary risers, etc and consider a new arrangement to better accommodate the choir & the bells.
What We Need to Know:
Nothing – the needs of the various music groups are not onerous and can easily be accommodated in the new space by ensuring that at least one of our ‘meeting rooms’ is large enough to accommodate the group with storage (and soundproofing!).
Thrift Shop:
What We Learned:
The current space utilized by the Thrift Shop is adequate (approx. 1600 sq. feet) although poorly laid out. Better accessibility will not only help the consumers but will also help in finding more volunteers who currently cannot assist due to accessibility issues. The Thrift Shop would be content to be on either level but needs storage space and a connection with the administrative space to provide security if a problem arises. Currently, the Thift Shop contributes approximately $20,000.00 per year to KUC.
What We Need to Know:
The congregation needs to decide whether or not to continue with this program. If we are to continue, then care should be taken with the placement of the Thrift Shop to ensure that it remains tax exempt. Assuming that the program continues to be part of our ministry, the space needs can be easily accommodated in the new building.
Preschool:
What We Learned:
The current preschool program has up to 20 students attending Mon-Thurs morning. The afterschool program has up to 20 students who are taken to school in the morning and then picked up after school and cared for until 5 pm (we refer to both these programs as the ‘Preschool’). The Preschool currently occupies about 3000 sq ft. and pays $500/month to KUC. According to licensing requirements, the Preschool needs 81 sq. ft per child, bathroom facilities and a kitchen. There are some grants that may be available to assist with the building of new preschool space. The program is the longest continuous program in BC and is well regarded in the community. The program fees are well below ‘market’ rates and the preschool is operated as a non-profit. More monies could be paid to KUC as space recovery but all increases will result in higher fees as the other operating expenses cannot be reduced. It is expected that with the move of English students from Lloyd George to Stuart Wood that our afterschool program will be full. The implementation of all day kindergarten is also expected to help the preschool program as parents want to ensure that their children are ‘ready’ for kindergarten.

What We Need to Know:
Does KUC wish to continue to offer this program? If yes, what are our expectations of the program and how much space are we prepared to allocate? If we maintain the current program, we will need to fund 1700 sq. ft to accommodate a program for 20 children.
Kitchen:
What We Learned:
Our current kitchen is 600 sq. ft. Not only is this space a bit small but it is poorly laid out. In the current plan, the kitchen size would increase to 650 sq. ft - this is the maximum kitchen space that can be obtained based on our building footprint. A look at comparable kitchens show that with a better lay out, this should provide ample room for our needs. Consideration was given to relocating the kitchen and hall to the lower level in order to gain more space but the logistics of having a lower level kitchen and the exit requirements for a hall make this impractical.
What We Need to Know:
Not much – we can’t accommodate more kitchen space than the 650 sq. ft. in the current design concept.
Hall:
What We Learned:
Our current Fellowship Hall has many challenges because it was originally built as a gym. Poor lighting, a lack of air conditioning, and poor acoustics are just some of its challenges. It needs to be connected to the kitchen and thus, we are limited as to the size if we stay with the current design concept. Concerns were expressed over the current proposed size of the Hall (capacity 150 people) because the connection with the Sanctuary did not allow the space to truly feel like one room. Over the past year, there have been very few (if any) events that needed to accommodate more than 150 people. The architect has developed an alternate placement of the nursery which will allow for a much greater opening into the Sanctuary which will hopefully alleviate any concerns about it not feeling like one room when the Hall is opened up to the Sanctuary.
What We Need to Know:
If folk are not prepared to accept a Hall sized for 150 people, then the entire design concept will need to be reworked. There is no more space on the Sanctuary site to accommodate a larger Hall. The fact that the design concept needs to be reworked should not be the deciding factor – more importantly, we need to consider whether or not we will have a space that meets our needs now and in the future.

Parking:
What We Learned:
Currently, KUC has 17 spaces with several designated spots. We provide parking for all our staff (including preschool) and ‘regular’ volunteers (receptionist, UCW). While parking is a difficult issue, the cost of building parking is $20,000 per space (underground).
What We Need to Know:
How much parking are we prepared to pay for? Most other downtown employers (RIH, businesses, etc) do not supply parking for all their employees – if we are going to cut back, who shall we provide parking for (if anyone)? Should we consider renting existing “off-site” parking space rather than using our own site for this purpose? Once we know how much parking the congregation is prepared to support, it can be factored in to the overall cost.
Administrative Space:
What We Learned:
Currently, we utilize 3 offices, a photocopy room and the Lay Office (which also acts as a Library space). In the new plan, 2700 sq ft. is allocated to Administration and we expect that this cannot be reduced. In the new space, we will need to accommodate 3 offices, a photocopy room, a reception area, a resource area (library) and some type of smaller consultation room (suitable for confidential meetings with either minister). There has also been a request for a staff washroom. Layout will be critical to ensure that various security and function needs are met. For instance, perhaps the resource area could be located near to the reception desk to allow for better accessibility and support for faith formation.
What We Need to Know:
Nothing – the admin space is driven by function and although we expect that offices will be smaller than their current size, it is not expected that the 2700 sq ft can be reduced by much.
Chapel:
What We Learned:
Our current Chapel space is most frequently used as a meeting room. If a new Chapel space was not provided, consideration would need to be given to creating a quiet, contemplative space in the Sanctuary that would be available throughout the day for folk. The current design has a new Chapel isolated on the 3rd floor – it was felt that any Chapel space needs to be more connected with the rest of the Church.

What We Need to Know:
Do we need to create a dedicated Chapel space in the new building? If yes, what approximate size and how should it be connected with the Sanctuary/Administrative space?
Lounge and Other Meeting Spaces:
What We Learned:
The current Lounge functions well but could be improved by being a bit larger (approx 850 sq ft.), incorporating some basic kitchen functions (to allow for coffee/tea-making, etc) and lockable storage. There is strong feeling that we need one room with slightly more comfortable furnishings to create a cozier atmosphere. NA & AA both occupy one room from 12 – 1 pm Mon – Sat and NA uses one room at 7:30 pm on weekdays. We currently have 7 spaces available for users (not counting the Sanctuary but including the Chapel). A review of the booking sheets for the past three months shows that we frequently have 4 spaces in use at one time and only occasionally (4 times) have we had 5 spaces in use at once. Any design for meetings rooms should ensure easy accessibility and flexibility so that two rooms can become one if a larger space is needed. A comprehensive review of our “Space Recovery” charges is needed to determine appropriate rates – potentially this may increase our revenues from these spaces but it may also lead some of our regular groups to seek out other space. Creating specialized space (such as for drama/music) is expensive and options should be considered to support these types of performances within our common room space.
What We Need to Know:
How many meeting spaces should we plan for? Currently, some of our empty spaces are not ‘rented’ out for meetings but are used for storage and utilized occasionally by other groups (Unitarians for example). The question we need to consider is how much space we are prepared to ‘subsidize’ and for whom – are we building space for ‘church’ groups/people or are we wanting to make space available for community groups/people that might otherwise not be able to afford it? What is our mission in this regard?

Closing Considerations:
RDT encourages everyone to approach this planning exercise from the perspective that we are creating “Sacred Space” – the space that we create for any ministry offered at KUC is sacred. Deciding who we are and what we are about, now and into the future, should drive any potential redevelopment. For your reference, we have included a condensed Ministry Plan to assist with your ‘ponderings’.
Happy thinking!
K.U.C. Ministry Plan – October, 2009
KUC will be a vibrant centre for Christian community, reaching out in the heart of Kamloops.

MINISTRY GOALS
GOAL: GROW THE CONGREGATION.

Objective - To increase the congregation and encourage active participation in spiritual growth, discipleship, outreach and all aspects of stewardship.
Focus on being a “welcoming” congregation.
Focus on meeting the spiritual needs of children, youth and families in new and innovative ways.
Focus on meeting the spiritual needs of ‘baby boomers’ and seniors.
Enrich our present/emerging ministries.
Focus on Stewardship and develop an infrastructure that will support a growing congregation.
GOAL: DISCERN OUR DOWNTOWN AND LOCAL MINISTRY.

Ojective – To reach out in partnership with others to meet the needs of our downtown and local community.
Strengthen present downtown outreach ministries.
Initiate new partnerships.
GOAL: USE OUR LAND AND BUILDINGS TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION.

Objective – To have a facility that supports the congregation’s mission in a financially sustaining manner.
Design a redevelopment of our existing KUC facilities that will specifically consider the following:
Whether our Mission is best met through a renovation of the existing resource or a new build;
Possibility of developing new revenue streams for the work of KUC;
consideration of the needs of existing building users/programs; and
A facility that is accessible for all and provides a safe, welcoming space for all building users.
Consider partnerships opportunities for our facilities.