PROJECT UPDATE!

The current Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Church (our official name) was built in 1937.  It was built in such a way that it truly fulfills its role of reminding us of God’s presence in our midst.  This is true of the Bell Tower, in particular, which rings out several times each day and before Mass, and can be heard and seen all over West Seattle.  The top 25’ of the Bell Tower, however, is unreinforced masonry—which is of grave concern of collapse in earthquakes because of its instability.  Rain water also comes through the open windows at the top, which is mostly caught at present by a system of garbage cans for storage.  Two of the exterior sides in particular are also in need of maintenance on the mortar between the bricks.  Our project got a little stalled in the design phase, but we are moving again.  We have a new architect we are working with in cooperation with our structural engineer, and are meeting with the city to receive approval of our planning and design work so that we can finalize the design and fix the tower and address the various issues.  The estimated cost of the project is still at $315,000.  To date, we have received:

• 2016 ACA Rebate: $27,398.17
• 2017 ACA Rebate: $10,680.98 (one final rebate distribution to be received, probably $1-2k)
• Bell Tower donations: $103,718.71
• Total Donations to Date:  $141,797.86

About one-third of the donations came from a bequest from Chelly Chelminiak.  He was a devoted parishioner who was instrumental with our campus maintenance and upgrades in the recent past.  He passed away last spring, and included Holy Rosary in his will.  In death, as in life, he will continue to help us with his legacy gift.  The remainder of the project will be funded by a bequest from James Martin.  He passed away in 2013, and we will be receiving the final distribution this summer.  This second bequest will cover the cost difference for the project, plus give us a cushion for the unexpected.  Thank you to all who have donated to the Appeal, and/or made special donations, so that we can ensure our bell tower continues to ring out the Good News.

 


Help us fix our Bell Tower so that it can remain a sign of the presence of God in West Seattle for generations to come.

* Phase 1 – Water Leak - $15,000

* Phase 2 – Structural Repair - $150,000

* Phase 3 – Tuckpointing and Sealing of Bricks and Mortar - $150,000

* Optional – Phase 4 – Lighting - $100,000-205,000

We have the opportunity to make our Bell Tower not only ring out during the day but also shine brightly in the night, a beacon of hope.