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BELL TOWER / BUILDING UPGRADE FUND DRIVE

Over the past few years, the Urbana First Church building has been used by a variety of community groups and members. Upon completing an inspection of the church, the Trustee Board began the work of discerning a plan addressing some of the major building cost. As it stands now, our bell tower has become very unsafe to use and is currently notwithstanding the rains and storms due to a variety of repairs and upgrades that need to be made. We also have learned that the current air conditioner unit for the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall is not up to code and needs to be replaced. The board has worked hard in getting our boiler and building heating zones to function correctly and have been advised by inspectors of local companies that it too needs some major repairs.

Over the past couple of months, the Trustee committee, comprised of knowledgeable individuals from our congregation, has engaged in thorough discussion about all the options available to the church regarding these repairs. The committee has invested much time and effort to collect the information needed to assemble a proposal that was brought to the Administrative Council at its February meeting. This proposal is available by request.

Bell Tower Repairs

Issue: The original bell tower roof suffers from rot and the stairwell and landing in the upper tower area suffers from water damage and rot. The upper portion of the bell tower is missing mortar in various areas and needs tuckpointing. Resolve: We have contacted the contractor in the area that repairs historical buildings and towers. They will replace the entire roof, do tuckpointing, and repair the upper landing and stairs. Cost Estimate: $75,000

Building Air Conditioner (Includes the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall)

Issue: The current unit is leaking Freon and due to a code update, Freon will no longer to sold. The leak is in the main coil of the air handler, and it will need to be replaced as well as the main unit on the roof will need to be replaced. Resolve: Replace the copper coil that is leaking in the air handler unit and replace the air conditioner unit on the roof. Cost Estimate: $50,000

Boiler Heating Controls (Includes the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall)

Issue: The controls and actuators for the heating of these areas of the building need to be repaired, identified, and corrected.  We had Johnson Controls review our controls and they found most of the building controls were broken, mislabeled, or not working correctly. Resolve: Have the air duct work cleaned, fix the actuators (4) and the building controls fixed, marked, and mapped out for future needs. Cost Estimate: $35,000

Your generous donations will help us with each of the extensive repairs listed for our historical church building, as well as helping us preserve an important asset to our community. We need the support of our members, as well as the benevolence of community businesses and individuals to help us reach our goal. Is there any reason why you can't be a part of our project by donating?

 

Your ongoing support of the mission of Urbana First United Methodist Church is deeply appreciated. If you have questions, concerns, or just want more details about this important fundraising effort, please contact us at 217-367-8384 or by clicking on the box below. 

Thank you for your support!


UFUMC is a 501(c)(3) corporation and donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

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