The temporary ramp was put up to take the place of the concrete ramp that leads to the “connector,” so called because it connects the church to the Old Rectory next door. The connector and its ramp are soon to be demolished, according to Grace Church Reverend Rob Hirschfeld, and replaced with a hall. The grade of the future landscaping will allow direct access to the church.
“There will be no need for railings and ramps, “ said Hirschfeld, “ so then it’s not like ‘this is where the handicapped people go,’ and ‘this is where everyone else goes.’”
This is part of a $2 million dollar renovation project at the church, which will also include adding an elevator and accessible bathrooms, all aimed at “better circulation for those who can’t manage stairs,” Hirschfeld said.
Robin Morris, parish administrator said that the different areas of the church have been wheelchair-accessible, “but it wasn’t easy to move between spaces.”
Another element of the renovation will be the creation of a new chapel in the undercroft – “an Episcopal word for basement," said Hirschfeld – which was not been used since it was closed by a termite infestation about 10 years ago. The new chapel will be dedicated to Mary Magdalene, and according to the Hirschfeld, “it will be a place for smaller worship services, and will lend itself to contemplation.”
The undercroft space will also hold rooms for Sunday School classes.
Notable about the undercroft is how much of the finishing work will be done by members of the congregation, such as painting and decoration. “We realized there were some things we could do ourselves. There is tremendous artistic talent here,” said Hirschfeld.
Morris explained that the first step is creating a wall at the Old Rectory end of the connector to close that building off from the demolition. Once the new hall is built, the wall will be removed, joining the structures once again.
The whole project is expected to take about 9 months, and Hirshfeld hopes it will be completed by summer.
-- Stephanie O'Keeffe
