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Please Note: This page has the most recent articles first and the oldest articles last. For specific details on the project, please visit this page. March 31, 2008 The Light (at the end of the tunnel) Sometimes the light can be an oncoming freight train—in which case we have to ask, “What am I doing on a train track?” Sometimes the light can be the warm sunlight and a return to what is known from what is unknown. I am pleased to report that more of the latter is true of our construction project than the former. When we started the project three years ago and determined that Our Lady of Florida’s normal program routine would not be cancelled for an extended period, we knew we were buying into a wide-ranging process that would interrupt our daily routines. We have hit our bumps and rolled with the punches any project of this size would offer. As of this writing we are so close to completion that we can almost envision life without construction crews . . . Almost. We have also been blessed with the excellent work that is the completed project. New floors and ceilings, bathrooms and beds, sod and irrigation and that just scratches the surface. Internally it is the work of the Spirit that is most evidenced on the faces of the retreatants and event attendees that still makes it a joy to endure any inconveniences. This is God’s project and as Fr. Paul said elsewhere in the current issue of our newsletter, “This is Holy Ground” and the Passionists bring the construction project to life in all the events that take place here. As we begin our series of final inspections, punch lists and scrutiny from retreatants and others, I think back to the first set of notes we issued in our newsletter and on this site about the project that sometimes seems like so many years ago: “As I sit at my desk on the day before work is scheduled to begin at Our Lady of Florida I am at once proud, excited, and a little bit afraid.” Thankfully, I can still say and mean those words because every day here is a new opportunity to “See what God has made!” Your prayers are so very much appreciated and we hope that you will continue to remember us as we remember you in our daily prayer. We are here to serve you and without you there would be no spiritual center. Please also remember in your prayers our Passionist Community, staff and volunteers who give of themselves in so many ways to help make this your spiritual oasis.
John E. Kosak, General Manager
December 31, 2007 During our shutdown to events for the summer we discovered a great deficiency in our electrical plans that was nearly invisible in our primary scope investigation three years ago. This caused our first major change order and slowed down the project to almost a complete standstill while we scrambled to identify our needs and get the new electrical plans engineered and contracted. It did not stop us from re-opening on September 21st with almost 70% of our facility and rooms available. Although the change order was in excess of half a million dollars and guarantees us the future of our electrical system, our general contractor saved us so much in their management of the project up to that point that we are still under budget!! Our project is about 85% complete. We have zero free time for construction beginning January 1st and count that as a blessing. Our calendar is so full and the attendance is so high that we may have to wait until the spring to complete certain areas of the project. Please bear with us as our team and staff complete the work that will make your Spiritual Center just the best retreat facility anywhere. While we continue to protect the future of our mission to you, we ask you to keep our Community, staff and work in your prayers.
John E. Kosak, General Manager
June 5, 2007 - Under Budget and On Time!! The five greatest words an owner can hear from his general contractor. When you add “Without a Change Order” it is the perfect setting. JMW Construction has provided us with not only a level of excellence and excitement most owners would give their eye teeth for, they continually surprise us in their management of our project with additional savings, ways to do things better and bringing in the best sub contractors an owner could want.
The facilities have been completely painted on the exterior but you won’t see the new colors until you come here. Demolition of the Monastery area has started and the landscaping and irrigation is almost complete: SIXTEEN ACRES of velvet green sod (please pray for rain—not storms, just rain). The seven new rooms downstairs are all but complete. As we prepare for the larger hurdles of replacing our electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems together with our intranet and telecommunications, the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter all the time. We close to events on June 11th and re-open on September 21st. We hope to have a grand reopening celebration soon after the New Year. I invite anyone who is interested to stop by and have a look at the progress. Make sure you wear your old clothes because Father Paul will give you a plastic bag and put you on weeding detail as soon as you arrive. We are working with The Spirit to protect the future of our mission for you and we ask you to keep our Community, staff and work in your prayers.
John E. Kosak, General Manager September 21, 2006 - End of Phase 1 In my last correspondence I spoke about the beginning of Phase 1 of our rebuilding. Today is inspection day from the authorities to see if we have done everything according to the strict codes imposed and wait for their approval. We have a brand new kitchen and all new refrigeration, fire hood and cooking equipment. Our interior asbestos removal, closely supervised by licensed abatement professionals is done and some of our new floors are installed. Outside doors in the Retreat House and Monastery have been modified to prevent water intrusion and we have a new parking lot and driveways. The North Palm Beach Fire Chief is here along with representatives of other code inspectors. We are approved to re-open!! Tomorrow is our first event—a Women’s Retreat. I can’t imagine what position we would be in if the Passionist Province of St Paul of the Cross did not fund this project. If there are any of you out there who still think Our Lady of Florida has any money in the bank from the sale of seven acres of property in 2004, let me assure you we do not. The proceeds from the sale belong to the province as does this facility and the sale proceeds went directly to the province. Our province has many other ministries serving the poorest of the poor in Haiti, the West Indies, and in the United States. The province expects its retreat facilities to be self supporting but recognizes that this major undertaking of rebuilding the infrastructure here needed also to show the province's commitment to the future of Our Lady of Florida. When the construction is over, the provincial support will no longer be available. This project will put an additional strain on operating income that will be borne by increased attendance, events, ministry and requested stipends. Also, very significantly by the generosity of our benefactors and friends who have always seen Our Lady of Florida as the spiritual oasis that it is and if left unsupported by the their time, talent and treasure would leave a void that could never be filled. They are right on all counts! Please continue to remember Our Lady of Florida in your wills and estates. As Phase 1 ends we look forward to Phase 2 which will run from now until next June when we will close again to events for Phase 3. In phase 2 we will do all the outside work including new cooling towers, new emergency generators, landscaping, irrigation, signage and building seven new one bedroom, one bath accommodations where our old storage rooms used to be. In Phase 3 we will demo the ceilings and install new HVAC systems, install new electric and communication lines, connect all our new equipment and turn 20 Monastery rooms with public baths into 14 two room suites with private baths. I hope to put up a photo page very soon with progress shots. In the mean time, please keep us in your prayers.
John E. Kosak, General Manager
June 12, 2006 - It Begins As I sit at my desk on the day before work is scheduled to begin at Our Lady of Florida I am at once proud, excited, and a little bit afraid. It has always been our dream to be able to complete the kind of project that begins tomorrow. While the construction project will last for perhaps twenty months and construction signs will be everywhere, we look forward to the finished product and how much better Our Lady of Florida and the Passionists will be allowed to serve the needs of the local and extended community of faith. Our team of professional consultants, architects and engineers have been working tirelessly over the last fifteen months trying to get the best finished product for the best possible price. The many meetings we have held here and elsewhere have given our facilities the nickname, “Our Lady of Perpetual Meetings”. But each meeting produced the results that brought us to the door. There will be no less meetings as we go through the door and start breaking down walls and systems that have been in place for forty-five years. These systems that have served us so well for so long are unfortunately at their physical end. Little by little the facility is letting us know that we have not begun this project too soon. In Father Francis’ last newsletter he started explaining the costs associated with the project. Since that newsletter the costs have escalated and we have had to “value engineer” some work out of the project. The Passionists of the Province of St. Paul of the Cross who own this facility are making a financial commitment to Our Lady of Florida in excess of eight million dollars. This is an incredible pledge with all the other missions in Haiti and Honduras and elsewhere in the Province with needs of their own. Between the promise of support from the Province, and the generosity of our friends and benefactors we believe we will be able to take the project to a successful financial conclusion. We just completed a walk-through of our facility with officials of the Village of North Palm Beach who have helped us immensely with our work. They are allowing us to keep operating under construction so that all our retreatants and others will be able to continue their spiritual growth here without being issued hardhats. They have offered guidance and advice on how to comply with code issues without “breaking the bank” and we are very grateful for their help. When complete, we hope we will have rebuilt the infrastructure of Our Lady of Florida sufficiently enough to carry us through the next forty-five years. We will need your help and your prayers to accomplish all this. Until we get a little further into the project we will not know the exact detailed scope of the work even though we have our 100% Construction Documents and are fully permitted to proceed. We hope that before our next newsletter is published all the details will have been worked out and we can pass them on to you. Last month we finished the sea-wall re-capping that was ripped out by Hurricane Wilma last year. Our roofers are still on the job replacing the damaged flashing and our windows that were broken are almost all replaced. We pray that the last two hurricane seasons were more than enough for the next twenty years or more. Over the next fourteen weeks while Our Lady of Florida is closed to events (our first scheduled event is September 22nd), we hope to do all of the environmental work and begin the demolition of the areas that need to be re-worked. We should have the new Main Chapel Doors in place by the time we re-open and complete the replacement of all of our kitchen equipment and refrigeration. There may be some dust on the floors when you arrive for your retreat during the 2006-2007 season but it will be a short-lived inconvenience. While we are under our 2006-2007 event and retreat operation we will continue our construction with minimum intrusion to the attendees. Late next spring or early in the summer we will close to events for another short period while we finish the project and do the final connections of all the new systems. Please continue to pray for us as we re-build this spiritual oasis and know that you are all in our prayers. Our business offices will remain open during the shutdown and we will continue with 7:30am morning Mass on Monday through Friday. Until September . . .
John E. Kosak, Administrator |
Last Modified: April 30, 2008 |
