Dear Friends,
As Wisconsin emerges from an unseasonably mild winter, ISHA’s volunteer builders have begun to plan a schedule for Ishwar’s construction project in Bruce for the upcoming year. Because the winter was so mild, we expect that conditions on the site may allow us to begin work early this year.
The BIG news is that if donations are sufficient, ISHA will be able to begin construction of the Meeting Hall Dome this summer! And, that means there will be many opportunities for seva in the upcoming phases of the project!
Currently, our architects and engineers are working on completing the latest changes to the Dome design and calculating all of the engineering specifications needed to construct the components of the building. We hope that this work can be completed in early May.
If that happens, then here’s a possible 2017 timeline for the project:
June — Begin final earthwork on the Hill. This work will include excavating the basement, digging the foundations, installing rebar, and building the concrete forms and retaining walls. Many sevadars will be needed over the 8 weeks of this work.
Early August — Pour concrete for the slab, footings, and basement walls. When the concrete is set, we will strip off the forms and backfill the walls. This task should take about 2 weeks to complete. Much of the concrete work will be done by professionals, but sevadars will be needed, especially for the second part.
Late August — Professional crews erect the components of the custom-built wooden dome with a crane. This task should take about 4 weeks. Much of the work will be done by skilled dome builders, but some sevadars will be needed. At the end of this task, the skeleton of the Meeting Hall will be standing on the Hill.
September — Crews of sevadars will “dry in” the dome and attached rooms. The goal of this stage is to completely weatherproof the building. This work will require many sevadars, and will take 10 – 12 weeks. Although much of this work will require some construction skills, ISHA volunteers will provide training and supervision that will allow all of us to participate. We are hoping for there to be a lot to do — and to see — on Mitti Seva Day!
November — The building is now completely “dried in.” At this point, the inside of the building is dry and warm, and teams of sevadars can perform finish work during the winter and spring. The finish work phase will require many sevadars working for many months.
This construction schedule represents a best-case scenario, in which all pieces of the project come together in a perfectly choreographed play. Our builders estimate that $300,000 will have to be raised in the next few months in order to meet this schedule. However, if it happens, it would allow us to occupy a finished Meeting Hall in the late spring or summer of 2018!
Stay tuned for more construction-related announcements at the ISHA Bhandara event in Chicago in a few weeks!
With Warmest Regards,
Paul Bauer
Chair of ISHA Building & Fund-Raising Committee
Winter scene near Bruce
