TLDR: The Building committee and Vestry have unanimously selected a General Contractor for our Phase One construction. Please read below for more.
After careful consideration and comprehensive interviews with four General Contractors, the Building Committee recommended a General Contractor to the Vestry on 8/20/24. The Vestry unanimously selected Tellepsen Builders to assist Saint Dunstan’s in all the pre-construction work for our Master Plan Phase One over the next two months. Tellepsen has been in business in the Houston market for over 100 years. “Tellepsen is a full-service construction company with the capacity to handle any type of project. We specialize in projects with challenging requirements and complex needs—whether it’s building a healthcare facility with phased occupancy, handling high-end finishing for the interior build-out of a law firm, or any kind of detailed work needed to finish a project. With a powerful, long-standing commitment to Houston, we create a far-reaching impact.” (Tellepsen Website.)
I am very excited about the selection of Tellepsen, not just because the company was founded by an Episcopalian, and the owners have been Episcopalians for four generations, but because of their vast experience in the building and rehabilitation of Episcopal churches in our Diocese. In fact, this is a homecoming for Tellepsen, who built our John Bentley Education Building in 1997-1998. Most recently, the company has built Sugar Creek Baptist Church, Saint Thomas’ Episcopal Church and School, Christ the King Presbyterian Church, Saint Martin’s Episcopal Church Sanctuary and a score of other churches.
Not only did Tellepsen present the most advantageous proposal to the Church, but they also spoke with clear affection about this campus, which they have seen grow over the last fifty-five years. They know who we are and what we are about, and they want to remain engaged in our unfolding story. Let me tell you what’s next for us in the preconstruction work of Phase One:
- Our Architects, Merryman Holt Powell, will complete the Schematic Design of Phase I by the end of August.
- Tellepsen will take this schematic design and prepare a detailed cost estimate for Phase one by the end of September.
- Horizons, our Capital Campaign consultants, will take this estimate and finish a Feasibility Study for our campaign by early October.
- At this point, the Architects will create more detailed designs that align closely with the campaign feasibility study and other sources of funding for the total construction budget. While this is taking place, the fundraising consultants will hold a number of small and larger meetings with parishioners, which include some personal interviews with stakeholders. All of this will be prework before we officially launch the campaign. During this time, the Church will enter into a banking relationship with a construction Bank to house our Capital campaign funds, approve a line of credit for construction, and perhaps approve a long-term loan for any portion of the budget that may not be raised through capital campaign and/or Diocesan grants, low interest loans, etc. This will take us to the end of the year.
- From early February through May two important things will happen simultaneously: A. The Capital Campaign will be in full swing, with an estimated end date of July 2025. B. Architectural Construction documents will be finished.
- From May to August, we will engage in a lengthy process of permitting. Both the Architects and the General Contractors will oversee this process. During June and July, the General Contractor will also enter into the Procurement phase.
- God willing, September first (or there abouts) will be our ground-breaking ceremony, followed by ten months to a year worth of construction.
As you can see, we have been very busy with all the prework necessary to enter into a Capital Campaign phase. In the next few weeks, you all will receive brochures and more detailed information regarding our Capital. You will also be invited to participate in a meeting or Town Hall regarding our Campaign. Perhaps the most important thing you can do for us now, however, is to start praying for us. This is the first time in twenty years that we have done a Capital Campaign, and I feel both excited and a bit nervous about the prospects of raising all necessary funds. On the other hand, this is very exciting. Our growing congregation will finally get a Multi-purpose building with a commercial kitchen and ample space for outreach to our community, large services that combine all our Sunday services, receptions, community-wide events, parties, and much more.
Start praying also about your willingness and ability to participate in this great effort. If you would like to have a private and confidential conversation with me, please let me know. If you are interested in naming rights for various parts of this project, please call me to discuss.
May our Lord continue to bless you,
Fr. Roman+
