More and higher foundation walls are in process with some areas complete along with some flat concrete work.

So far, April has been one rainy month and not particularly concrete/masonry cooperative. We will do our best to be all the more active once the weather is a bit drier (which is bound to happen soon – right?).

With construction well in hand, we are now turning out attention to ‘Furnishings, Finishes and Décor’ (oh my!). Many of these areas are minimally funded within our budget, some not at all and many may be compromised if we don’t achieve our funding goals, e.g. chapel décor, a prayer garden, landscaping throughout, office and social hall furniture, appliances and furniture for the Metropollitan's home. What would you like to sponsor?

These last few weeks were the most miles-intensive as Kathy and I presented to 6 parish councils, shown here in red:

Annunciation, Cleveland, OH

Annunciation, Columbus, OH ($50,000)

Annunciation, Lancaster, PA ($50,000)

Archangel Michael, Campbell, OH

Dormition, Oakmont, PA ($20,000)

Holy Trinity, Ambridge, PA

Holy Trinity, Camp Hill, PA ($100,000)

Holy Trinity, Canton, OH

Holy Cross, Pittsburgh, PA ($100,000)

Sts. Constantine & Helen, Cleveland Hts, OH ($20,000)

Sts. Constantine & Helen, Reading, PA ($25,000)

St. Demetrios, Rocky River, OH

St. Demetrios, Warren, OH

St. John the Divine, Wheeling, WV ($15,000)

St. John the Forerunner, Youngtown, OH ($50,000 – pledged before we visited!!)

St. Haralambos, Canton, OH ($10,000)

St. Nicholas, Bethlehem, PA

St. Nicholas, Youngstown, OH

St. Nicholas Cathedral, Pittsburgh, PA ($50,000)

St. Paul, North Royalton, OH ($25,000)

St. Spyridon, Clarksburg, WV ($10,000)

Whenever a parish pledges, at whatever level they can, we are so pleased to enjoy the support and prayers of our parishes. This month, we received a $20,000 pledge from Dormition/Oakmont, bringing our total parish level pledges to $545,000! 

And so far this month, we are scheduled to visit two more parishes, either for council meetings or general parish gatherings.

And via our parish visits, we have also enjoyed a substantial family pledge of $250,000, now bringing our total pledges to $11.6M – less than $2.5M yet to raise!!

With a sizable recent mailing to nearly all parishioners in our Metropolis, we have received 50 donations/pledges. Direct mail donations and pledges are currently $16,000+. Our Metropolitan Savas has begun an email campaign and taken the time to record video at the site to chronicle progress for social media posts. These are all good things to focus on while we all consider almsgiving during this Lenten Season.

Please consider returning your pledge card!

AND as I always will, I ask that you seriously consider a pledge, or raising your pledge, or pre-paying your pledge so that we AVOID ANY DEBT! We will continue fundraising until we are there! Please help so that this new home is only ever a blessing AND NEVER A BURDEN to our dear church. Please participate and be part of our community!

To pledge or donate, please visit here: pittsburgh.goarch.org/pledge

 

FINANCIAL STATUS:

FUNDING

Total Project Cost = $14.0M

Total Pledges/Cash to Date = $11.6M

Pledges Outstanding = $2.5M

Cash on Hand = $6.6M

SPENDING

Soft Costs to Date = $660K

Construction Spending This Month = $222K

Construction Spending to Date = $1.8M

TOTAL PROJECT SPENDING = $2.5M

BORROWING

Anticipated, Approximate Total = $2.0M

Anticipated Start = July 2024

Thank you for your support and prayers,

Archon Nick Lekas

New Metropolis Center Project Manager

With the better weather and soil issues in the rearview mirror, progress has accelerated.  We now have some of the first floor flat concrete work in place along with foundation walls rising:

Here you can see the beginning of elevator foundation walls and interior basement footer forms.  Here too are the piers that will in part support the dome of the chapel and the completion of the stairwell masonry.

FUNDRAISING

Last month, parish sponsorship totaled $475,000 with the hopes of cresting the half-million mark this month.  St. Nicholas Cathedral in Pittsburgh made that happen with a pledge of $50,000!  Shocking, and so pleasing to have so many brothers and sisters in Christ!!!

Annunciation, Akron, OH ($20,000)

Annunciation, Columbus, OH ($50,000)

Annunciation, Lancaster, PA ($50,000)

Holy Trinity, Camp Hill, PA ($100,000)

Holy Trinity, Canton, OH

Holy Cross, Pittsburgh, PA ($100,000)

Sts. Constantine & Helen, Cle Hts, OH ($20,000)

Sts. Constantine & Helen, Reading, PA ($25,000)

St. Demetrios, Rocky River, OH

St. John the Divine, Wheeling, WV ($15,000)

St. John the Forerunner, Youngtown, OH ($50,000)

St. Haralambos, Canton, OH ($10,000)

St. Nicholas, Bethlehem, PA

St. Nicholas Cathedral, Pittsburgh, PA ($50,000)

St. Paul, North Royalton, OH ($25,000)

St. Spyridon, Clarksburg, WV ($10,000)

In the coming 2 weeks, Kathy and I will be presenting at 3 more parishes to provide everyone the opportunity to support our dear church and encourage fellowship, ministry and worship for us, our kids and grandkids (we have 12 – pressure’s on!).

As mentioned last month, for this Lenten Season, parishioners around the Metropolis will receive a mailing that kicks off our public fundraising campaign.  Look for it!  Thereafter, you will see social media videos of ministry workers who will speak to the potential this new center brings us all.

AND as I always will, I ask that you seriously consider a pledge, or raising your pledge, or pre-paying your pledge so that we AVOID ANY DEBT!  We will continue fundraising until we are there!  Please help - so that this new home is only ever a blessing AND NEVER A BURDEN to our church.  Please participate and be part of our community!

To pledge, please click on this link or scan the QR code below:  New Metropolis Donation Link

FINANCIAL STATUS

FUNDING

Total Project Cost = $14.0M

Total Pledges/Cash to Date = $11.4M

Pledges Outstanding = $2.48M

Cash on Hand = $6.76M

SPENDING

Soft Costs to Date = $660K

Construction Spending This Month = $234K

Construction Spending to Date = $1.81M

TOTAL PROJECT SPENDING = $2.50M

BORROWING

Anticipated, Approximate Total = $2.0M

Anticipated Start = July 2024

 

Given the winter months and the heavy rainfall, our geotechnical engineers felt that the work that was done in November to provide an improved base in the elevator pit had to be revisited as the replacement clay had been water saturated for so long and comprimised.  After much testing of additional clay found on the site, and the dry weather we enjoyed all last week, the clay base was removed and replaced with flowable fill concrete and dry/compactible clay with footers poured.  We’re all done with that with a total incremental cost of $36,000 to the project.

In the meantime, scaffolding was erected and encased with plastic over the two-story stairwell so that masons could work in that area.  At the same time, footers and piers were completed for the first floor and much work was done to continue building the foundation walls on the first floor and basement which will continue, weather permitting

FUNDRAISING 

Before Kathy and I began to visit parishes, St. Spyridon in Clarksburg, WV had pledged $10,000.  We are so pleased to show them in our list of pledged parishes.  And too, St. John the Divine in Wheeling has now pledged $15,000, St. Haralambos in Canton, OH has pledged $10,000 and Sts. Constanine & Helen in Reading has pledged $25,000 as well.  Inspiring!

Annunciation, Akron, OH ($20,000)

Annunciation, Columbus, OH ($50,000)

Annunciation, Lancaster, PA ($50,000)

Holy Trinity, Camp Hill, PA ($100,000)

Holy Trinity, Canton, OH

Holy Cross, Pittsburgh, PA ($100,000)

Sts. Constantine & Helen, Cle Hts, OH ($20,000)

Sts. Constantine & Helen, Reading, PA ($25,000)

St. Demetrios, Rocky River, OH

St. John the Divine, Wheeling, WV ($15,000)

St. John the Forerunner, Youngtown, OH ($50,000)

St. Haralambos, Canton, OH ($10,000)

St. Nicholas, Bethlehem, PA

St. Nicholas Cathedral, Pittsburgh, PA

St. Paul, North Royalton, OH ($25,000)

St. Spyridon, Clarksburg, WV ($10,000)

Among our parishes, we have now raised $475,000 and again, we are so pleased!  Please consider inviting us back to your parish if you need help in developing a parish pledge or inviting us to introduce the project to your leadership.  The more awareness we can create, the more support we will all experience.  Everyone should be represented in support of our church. 

We are currently scheduled to present at parishes twice more in March.  Hopefully, we will crest the Half-Million mark next month!!!  Be part of that and part of the fellowship, training, ministry, worship, outreach that this new building will provide for us all.  This is our legacy. 

For this Lenten Season, we will create a mailing to the parishioners whose parishes were kind enough to share their mailing lists.  Look for it!  Thereafter, we hope to have social media videos of ministry workers speak to the potential this new center gives us all.

As I always will, I ask that you seriously consider a pledge, or raising your pledge, or pre-paying your pledge so that we AVOID ANY DEBT!  We will continue fundraising until we are there!  Please help us so that this new home is only ever a blessing AND NEVER A BURDEN to our church.  Please help.

To pledge, please click on this link or scan the QR code below:

New Metropolis Donation Link

CONSTRUCTION REPORT

With the lion’s share of soil issues now behind us (no new issues), we are back to laying footers and foundations.

With the occasional snowfall and all the rainy weather, work has slowed as expected yet progress continues.  At this hour, most all footers are complete and the foundation walls are appearing.  We hope to make up some of the lost time as the year progresses.

         

FUNDRAISING

Kathy and I continue to visit parishes (see list below) to create project awareness and encourage support.  We are adding back the Annunciation, Columbus pledge of $50K (now official) along with new pledges from St. Constantine & Helen, Cleveland Heights of $20K and St. John’s, Youngstown of $50K  

Annunciation, Akron, OH ($20,000)

Annunciation, Columbus, OH ($50,000)

Annunciation, Lancaster, PA ($50,000)

Holy Trinity, Camp Hill, PA ($100,000)

Holy Trinity, Canton, OH

Holy Cross, Pittsburgh, PA ($100,000)

Sts. Constantine & Helen, Cle Hts, OH ($20,000)

Sts. Constantine & Helen, Reading, PA

St. Demetrios, Rocky River, OH

St. John the Divine, Wheeling, WV

St. John the Forerunner, Youngtown, OH ($50,000)

St. Haralambos, Canton, OH

St. Nicholas, Bethlehem, PA

St. Nicholas Cathedral, Pittsburgh, PA

St. Paul, North Royalton, OH ($25,000)

Among our parishes, we have now raised over $400,000 - an amazing dedication!  Please consider inviting us back to your parish if you need help in developing a parish pledge or inviting us to introduce the project to your leadership.  The more awareness we can create, the more support we will all experience.  Everyone should be represented in support of our church.  Please consider sharing this note with your parish!

This building will eventually be the hub for inter-parish activities:  fellowship, training, ministry, worship, outreach for generations to come.  This is our legacy.  Let’s all participate!

As I always will, I ask that you seriously consider a pledge, or raising your pledge, or pre-paying your pledge so that we AVOID ANY DEBT!  We will continue fundraising until we are there!  Please help us such that this new home is only ever a blessing AND NEVER A BURDEN to our church.  Please help.

For pledges and donations please visit: www.pittsburgh.goarch.org/pledge