December 10, 2007 – Monday; New Completion Time Set

     Winter has arrived with a blanket of snow that is going to be hanging around for a good while. Likewise for the constrution workers, they will be hanging around for a good while longer also. The newest completion date is sometime in early February. With the inevitable touchups that will need to be done it will probably not be until spring break in early March that the monks will begin to be moving in.

      At this point almost all drywall is hung in the building and most of the plaster work is near completion on the top two floors. Tiles are currently being place in the restrooms, sink & linen cabinets for the restrooms are being stained and varnisted. Numerous rooms also have been given a coat of paint. Day by day progress is being made. - A new slide show has been added to the photos section.

November 27, 2007 – Tuesday; More Drywall, Trim & Paint

There really isn't a whole lot to report. Just more of the same. Progress continues to plod along.

Outdoor work is nearing completion. They are working on the lights along the abbey road and parking lot and still need to complete the deck and the retaining wall in the back.

The grounds around the building have been cleaned up and dirt fill has been spread.

      Inside the building, the basement is seeing drywall hung and the last mechanical work nearing completion, wiring is still underway. The private monastic rooms are seeing the walls primed and much of wood trim work being done. Tiles are being set into the bathrooms also. The Community room has drywall on the ceiling and will probably have there rest of it hung soon.

    There are generally around 20 vehicles of workers onsite every day!

November 9, 2007 – Friday; Big Progress & Extra Hours

In the last month much progress has been made but much still needs to be done.

Saturday, November 3rd a good sized crew starting early and worked late on the electrical and heating system. The weather has turned cold and heat will be needed if plaster work and painting/finishing are to begin. Vents continue to be installed this week with lots of progress visible.

The elevator has been completed. The buttons are all that wait to be installed.

An opening has been cut in the basement to the existing building. Two “very” heavy blocks of reinforced concrete from the cut now lay on their sides waiting to be removed. (How?)

Work on the deck-patio has begun. A retaining wall has been constructed for this project. Stone work on the retaining wall is now being installed just like the rest of the basement exterior.

The first wood trim work in the monk’s rooms has been started. The doors and trim were added to closets, bathrooms, and individual rooms.

Just this week work on the outside has seen a major up turn in activity. The asphalt road & parking lot has been completed, cable for street lights has been laid, the sidewalks have begun, gutters are being installed on the roof and the sewer line has been connected.

The hanging of drywall and plaster work continues particularly on the top floor and community room. In the basement steel framing appears to be completed but drywall will have to wait until the vent work installers and electrical workers are out of the way.

Yesterday the basement doors were set in place including those to the patio. The only door that remains to be installed is from the community room to the deck.

Numerous Slide Shows & a Video have been added to the Photos & Video Section.

Completion date? Still aiming for December 31st.