June 3, 2010 Update
The weather has been glorious for the last six weeks and as a result, the construction team has made remarkable progress on the Jill’s House site!
Outside the team has worked diligently to finish the exterior skin. Both stone and hearty-board will be used in the exterior design creating a lodge-like feel. The windows are in, the roofing is complete, so finishing the skin of the outside of Jill’s House and finalizing some landscaping this month will make the building look and feel more like the vision of the finished product the team carries with them in their hearts.
Work on the sanitary tie in through the woods began two weeks ago and will be completed in two weeks. The road work remains on hold pending the agreement with VDOT that will determine what still needs to be completed.
Inside, all of the rooms are taking shape as the drywall is now finished. Plumbing for the bathrooms is in progress, most of the electrical work is being completed now. Most of the areas have been primed and several are now receiving their final cost of paint. The team is anticipating the start of flooring installations (tile, VCT and carpeting) that we hope to have started within the next couple of weeks. Lord willing, the weather will hold and we can expect to see the majority of the construction finished by the end of summer.
We are delighted to watch the kitchen come together as equipment such as the range, ovens, dishwasher, hood and other items are fitted and fashioned into place. Equipment, furniture, and fixtures are being ordered so that the team can begin the outfitting process before the end of June.
Muralist Julie Hoyt has worked with the various Jill’s House teams to design the beautiful murals that will grace the walls of the different lodging areas and rooms in Jill’s House. She will begin work this month on the Wilderness Lake, Wilderness Mountain, and Wilderness Exploration themes in each of the , and the Wilderness Island theme in the pool area.
It is hard to believe that, Lord willing, in less than three months we will see the facility construction completed and the majority of the outfitting finished as well. What started as a dream so long ago is so close to becoming a reality and knowing the impact that Jill’s House will make for Christ in secular Washington is very exciting.
If you have any questions about the construction or design of the Jill’s House facility, please contact Bill Steele at bill.steele@mcleanbible.org. Be sure to check next month for a new update on our progress.
March 22, 2010 Update
Despite the difficulties with the weather over the past couple of months, we have continued to make great progress on our construction. We are nearing the time when the building will be weather proof, which enables us to continue working regardless of the weather conditions. This should be achieved prior to the end of March.
The construction team is working on installing the windows, finishing the siding and exterior skin of the building and completing roof work. Completion of these elements allows the contractor to begin aggressively working on the building’s interior. Most interior areas are now framed, which gives a greater sense of how the building is laid out and what the various room configurations will look like. They have begun applying the sheetrock in some of the protected areas. Most of the electrical, plumbing and associated work that needs to be completed within the walls is also being installed. The kitchen work has also begun in earnest. The construction team hopes to begin working in the pool area within the next few weeks. All areas of the building are now fully engaged. Permanent electrical power and incoming gas lines have been completed as well.
A good portion of the site work has been accomplished. There are some retaining walls that need to be completed but the wet ground has made that difficult. We are hoping as the sun continues to shine with warmer temperatures that we will be able to finish this work. Still to be completed is the sanitary tie in that will go through the wooded area to the appropriate tie in location. There is a lane that needs to be completed on Rt. 7 but we are currently in a hold situation pending some VDOT decisions.
Most of the design work has now been finished. We are finalizing decisions on furnishings, fixtures and equipment for the Jill’s House interior. We will order soon to ensure availability of all necessary items as the building becomes ready for occupancy. Our painter/artist, who will be painting the murals in each neighborhood and in the pool area, has submitted the final drawings and these have been approved. We believe that these murals in each neighborhood, along with the mural in the pool area, will be signatures pieces in the building. The themes are Wilderness Lake, Wilderness Mountain and Wilderness Exploration and the pool theme is Wilderness Island – all fitting with our overall theme for Jill’s House. It is still our expectation to have the building completed in the summer of 2010 with a projected opening sometime in the fall of next year.
If you have any questions about the construction or design of the Jill’s House facility, please contact Bill Steele at bill.steele@mcleanbible.org.
November 16, 2009 Update
We are pleased with our construction progress on Jill’s House over this fall. Our construction has remained on budget, on schedule and the work site progress has been extensive. If you have driven by the site or looked at the construction pictures on the website, you can see the building taking shape.
Most of the steel and concrete work is now complete. Roof work has started in several different areas of the building and within the next few weeks, we anticipate work beginning on the outside skin of the building. We hope to be weather proof by the end of the year so that we can continue to make progress on the internal sections of Jill’s House during the winter months.
A good portion of the site work has been completed. The work required on Rt. 7 is in process and should be completed sometime near the beginning of December. We will not be able to open the new lane until a study on the light at the intersection at Lewinsville and Rt. 7 is completed and approved by VDOT so that lane will probably not be opened until sometime in early 2010. We have received the last of the permissions necessary for the sanitary tie in required for the building. This has proven to be more difficult than we had anticipated and we have been working on it for several months. We are pleased that a solution was finally agreed upon by all parties involved.
We are expecting to receive the final building permits with the revised drawings of the interior package within the next week or two. Once the permits are approved, and the exterior core and shell are ready, we will be able to begin the interior work. We expect to begin interior work immediately upon approval of the permits. It is still our expectation to have the building completed in the summer of 2010 with a projected opening sometime in the fall of next year.
We continue working on finalizing decisions on furnishings, fixtures and equipment needed inside of Jill’s House. This is the last remaining area that still needs to be designed and approved. Our Construction Team is hard at work making final determinations so that we can begin ordering these products. This is to ensure availability of all necessary items as the building becomes ready.
If you have any questions about the construction or design of the Jill’s House facility, please contact Bill Steele at bill.steele@mcleanbible.org. Please also visit the Jill’s House web site in January for a new update on our progress (www.jillshouse.org ). You won’t want to miss the pictures of the construction site so that you can see the progress that we are making. More pictures will be posted as they are available during the month.
September 21, 2009 Update
For those of you who have driven by the Jill’s House construction site or those following along via the web with our picture postings, you have probably seen some significant developments in the landscape! Construction is now in full swing. There has been substantial construction progress to report and the weather has been cooperating with our efforts.
We have progressed from primarily concrete work to steel erection over the past few weeks. Steel beams and girders are being installed throughout the construction site. The main floor has been substantially completed and work is progressing in the basement area through the first and second floors directly above the basement. Over the next couple of weeks, the steel framing necessary to support the pour of the remaining concrete floors will be installed and then both the basement floor and first floor will have the concrete floors in place. Our goal is to have this accomplished by the end of October. Once this step is completed the contractor can then backfill the dirt around the basement walls and continue work on the first floor.
We are also busy installing the plumbing and electrical lines under the slab area near the pool room (this is the large concrete block room that is visible in the pictures). In particular we have a great deal of prep work to be completed where the kitchen will be located. Much of this prep work is integral to the completion of the slab on grade pours in that area.
We continue to make significant progress on the site work. Though most of that work is not readily visible, we are preparing to begin work to add a deceleration lane on Rt. 7 before September 30. This work was delayed due to additional approval requirements from VDOT and Fairfax County. It is expected that this work will continue for at least six weeks.
We are expecting the final building permits from the revised drawings on the interior package in the next couple of weeks. Once the permits are approved we will be able to begin the interior work once the exterior core and shell is at the stage where it can start.
Our Construction Team is primarily focused on managing the construction progress as well as working on appropriate furniture, fixtures, and equipment designs needed for each room in Jill’s House. This includes the final choices to be made for curtains, bedspreads, and other related items. The extensive security package for the building is also being reviewed at this stage.
If you have any questions about the construction or design of the Jill’s House facility, please contact Bill Steele at bill.steele@mcleanbible.org. Please also visit the Jill’s House web site next month for a new update on our progress (www.jillshouse.org). You will not want to miss checking out the pictures of the construction site. More pictures will be posted as they are available during the month.
August 12, 2009 Update
Thanks to the many prayers of our faithful prayer warriors, our July weather facilitated much better construction conditions than May or June had. We are happy to report that the construction effort has jumped into full swing!
Concrete work in particular moved forward expeditiously. The basement walls have been formed and poured, as well as waterproofed and the soil will soon be moved back around them. Concrete pours for the elevator shafts and stairwells are imminent. The steel pads have also had the concrete poured and set and will be ready for steel installation to begin prior to the end of August. Additionally we are expecting part of the main floor to be poured once the plumbing and electrical conduits are completed. Plumbing for the back resident pod can now be seen rising up from the floor. Additionally, we are setting the building’s block perimeter and the block work in the pool area has been substantially completed – with walls now standing tall. Other trades are also beginning to work on the project.
Site work has also continued unabated. Many of the utilities are either on site or will be soon – ultimately providing us with electricity, gas, phone and other services. Most of the gutter and curbs located around the building have been formed and poured. The front driveway has been laid out and its base coat will be completed soon. Work to add a deceleration lane on Rt. 7 is expected to begin late August.
All in all, some substantial work was completed over the past forty-five days and we are moving rapidly forward. Concrete work will continue in August and the next major piece will be the steel erection. We are hopeful that the frame of the building will be in place by the end of September.
The permits for the interior work on Phase 1 have been approved by the County and our architects have completed the drawings for Phase 2 in record time. Phase 2 has been submitted to the County so that the building permit for this work may also be approved. Based on these facts, we would assume that interior work would commence probably sometime in early September.
Our Construction Team has some remaining design work to complete over the next couple of months. Our primary tasks will include looking at the appropriate furniture, fixtures, and equipment needed for the facility. There are also final choices to be made for curtains, bedspreads, and other related items. We expect to begin work on these areas in September. The Construction Team is meeting in mid-August to finalize the contract for all the internal work – including both Phase 1 and Phase 2. These will be presented to the Board for final approval and an amendment will be completed and added to the current GC contract.
If you have any questions about the construction or design of the Jill’s House facility, please contact Bill Steele at bill.steele@mcleanbible.org. Please also visit the Jill’s House web site next month for a new update on our progress (www.jillshouse.org). You will not want to miss checking out the pictures of the construction site. More pictures will be posted as they are available during the month.
July 13, 2009 Update
Although June was a very wet month with all of the rain that we had in this area, we were still able to make substantial progress on the beginning phases of Jill’s House construction. The concrete subcontractor has successfully poured most of the walls that form the basement area and are now beginning work on the first-floor footers. The concrete sub has been able to make up some of the time lost in June during the past couple of weeks. We would expect steel to begin going up on the site in August, with most of the concrete work completed by the middle of August.
The site work is continuing to progress at a good pace. Most of the utilities are now on site or should be completed soon and there is work being done on the storm and sanitary systems. The following work is still in progress: (1) addition of a deceleration lane on Rt. 7, (2) Lewinsville intersection modifications, and (3) some signal light changes. Site work will continue for a few months in order to complete that phase of the project.
During the middle of June we assessed the feasibility of moving Phase 2 of the project sooner so that it would be completed in conjunction with Phase 1. Phase 2 calls for the completion of the basement area so that programming and administrative space could be housed in that area. It also allows for the installation of the therapy pool and the final resident pod on the second floor. Based on our review of Phase 1 and 2 costs, the Jill’s House team has discovered that due to a variety of factors working in our favor it is more reasonable to concurrently develop these phases rather than build them in succession. By completing Phase 1 and 2 concurrently, Jill’s House will reap the benefits of a significant cost savings. The Jill’s House Board of Directors approved concurrent development of both Phase 1 and 2 and increased the total approved construction budget from $11 million to $12.5 million.
The permits for the interior work are substantially approved by the County. Our architect team is now drawing the Phase 2 components and these will also need to get appropriate building permit approvals by the County. Our progress on obtaining the necessary permits has gone smoother than expected.
Our Construction Team has some remaining design work to complete over the next couple of months. We are primarily focused on looking at the appropriate furniture, fixtures and equipment needed for the facility. There are also the final choices to be made for curtains, bedspreads and other related items. We are rapidly drawing to a close with all of the design work associated with the project. The Construction Team will also be finalizing the bids for all the internal work – Phase 1 and Phase 2 over the next month or so. These will be presented to the Board for final approval and contract signing.
If you have any questions about the construction or design of the Jill’s House facility, please contact Bill Steele at bill.steele@mcleanbible.org. Please also visit the Jill’s House web site (www.jillshouse.org) in August for a new update on our progress. You won’t want to miss checking out the pictures of some of the concrete and site work that is currently taking place on the site. More pictures will be posted as they are available during the month.
May 27, 2009 Update
A substantial potion of the site work that is necessary prior to the construction of the building has been completed. The work included moving a significant amount of dirt to the site in order to level the area for the building. Work is under way to connect the various utilities, along with storm water retention and the sanitary tie-ins. Although there is still a significant amount of work remaining to complete all the site work (including the road work required on Rt. 7), enough progress has been made to kick off the building construction during the first week in June.
With initial site work completed and the building permit in hand for the base building, construction is ready to begin. The concrete sub contractor will be mobilized the first week in June and will begin work on the foundation and retaining walls. Construction will be “officially” underway on Jill’s House. By the end of the summer, we expect most of the concrete work and a substantial amount of the steel work to be completed and to be ready to move to the “skin” of the building.
The permits for the interior work are still moving through the County approval process. Many of the trades have already been approved and we hope to have the interior permit totally approved within the next month of so. At the same time, we have been processing the bids received for that portion of the work. It is our hope to obtain these building permits and to have a contract signed for that work before the end of July.
Lastly, our Construction Team is still working on the final interior design work, and the furniture, fixtures and equipment necessary to open the building. We have had the experience and expertise of parents, professionals in the special needs industry and experts with design assisting us through the process. It is our goal to make the building appealing to the parents but also very exciting for the children. We are still on course to have the facility ready to open during the latter half of 2010.
Should you have any questions about the construction or design of the Jill’s House facility, please contact Bill Steele at bill.steele@mcleanbible.org. Please also visit the web site in July for a new update on our progress – which will hopefully include some pictures.
April 17, 2009 Update
We have been making substantial progress on the site work, necessary before construction begins on the building. Our general contractor for the work, Forrester Construction, has worked diligently to bring in the large volume of dirt required to level the site, even amidst the rain and snow of the winter and spring. The area has been prepared so well that the precipitation is moving off the site rapidly and allowing us to continue boldly moving forward, despite typical spring rains.
The building permit process has essentially been completed with the County. There is a critical structures meeting that is required before the actual permit is issued. We are probably within a few weeks of starting the construction on the building.
The Construction Team, in conjunction with a group of professionals, parents and some Board members, worked to finalize the interior design. This is mainly what the facility will look like on the inside as well as flooring, paint colors, tile selections and similar decisions. The Board has now approved this design and our architects are preparing the documents necessary to submit these drawings for permitting.
Lastly, we're in the midst of finalizing the contract for the main building construction with Forrester Construction. Once that is completed (and it is expected to be completed before the end of April), we will be ready to begin the construction of the base building. We are still hoping to open the facility some time during the latter part of 2010.
Should you have any questions about the construction or design of the Jill’s House facility, please contact Bill Steele at bill.steele@mcleanbible.org. Please also look back in May for a new update on our progress.
February 9, 2009 Update
Last month, this great project got underway in a dramatic way. Early in January, we began the process of pulling the trees down and starting the actual work of construction for the Jill’s House facility. For the balance of the month, our General Contractor, Forrester Construction, took down the trees on the construction site, cut them up and hauled them off and did the rough grading work on the site. The County inspectors have reviewed the work completed and given us their final approval on this segment of the work.
We currently expect the County to grant the permit to continue the site work before the first week in February ends. Once that permit is granted, we will begin a much more extensive phase of the site work than in the rough grading phase. We will not be totally completed with this work until the end of the project as it also includes the landscaping work that will surround the new building when it is finished. However, most of the site work will take place in the next few months. It primarily will consist of bringing in a significant amount of fill dirt so that we can level the site where the building will be located. Additionally, we need to bring in the necessary utility lines – electrical, gas, water, and telephone. There is some traffic lane work that needs to be completed on Rt. 7, as well.
There is some traffic lane work that needs to be completed on Rt. 7, as well. Our Construction Team, along with a group of professionals, a few parents and the Board are working to finalize what the interior will look like as well. This will be an intensive effort over the next month to six weeks to complete the general theme and appearance of the inside of the building. There has been a significant amount of time spent in planning what this building will look like, both inside and outside. Our intent is to make it appealing to the parents but exciting for the children.
Should you have any questions about the construction or design of the Jill’s House facility, please contact Bill Steele at bill.steele@mcleanbible.org. Please also look back in March for a new update on our progress.
September 22, 2008 Update
The Jill’s House Board has approved the initial interior and exterior designs for the new Jill’s House building. The exterior design is meant to look like a mountain retreat or lodge and the exterior will mainly consist of stone and hardy plank siding and include a stone chimney. It will have a rustic look and feel.
The Board approved two different phases for the actual design of the building. In Phase 1, the entire shell of the building will be constructed. However, the second floor and basement will consist of the exterior shell and any necessary mechanical equipment only. The main floor will be completely built out in this phase. The main floor consists of two overnight respite areas, with space for up to 15 children each, a main entryway, a spacious and welcoming area where the children and parents arrive, some administrative space, classrooms, a computer lab, library, kitchen, receiving areas, and a small chapel. With this phase, up to a maximum of 30 children could be accommodated. Pending receiving complete funding for the project, we will build only Phase 1 initially and defer Phase 2 until additional funding beyond that necessary for Phase 1 is received.
During Phase 2, the basement area would be totally built out which would allow for the relocation of some administrative, educational and classroom space from the first floor. It would also add more space for administration and for educational and therapeutic programming. Once this area is completed and the administrative, educational and classroom space is moved to the basement, a therapeutic pool would be added to the main floor. Finally in this phase, a second floor overnight respite area would be added with space for up to 15 children, allowing us to accommodate a maximum of 45 children once everything is completed.
If you would like to see what both the exterior and interior designs (both phases) look like visually, you can do so by clicking here.
We are currently working with Fairfax County and VDOT to get all the necessary permits and permissions to begin clearing the land and start the site work preparation necessary before we begin the construction of the building. It is currently expected that we should receive all the necessary approvals and begin the site work during the fall (probably late October to early November). In the meantime, the architectural drawings are being prepared so that we can obtain the building permits necessary to start actual construction. We expect the building construction t to begin in late Winter to early Spring next year. We still expect to have the building completed and ready for occupancy during the last half of 2010.
Please be sure to check back soon for additional updates and progress reports on the construction process. For construction related question, please contact Bill Steele, Vice President for Building and Design at bill.steele@mcleanbible.org or call 703-639-5660. If you are interested in donating materials, supplies or effort to this project, please contact Chip Ranno of AtSite Real Estate. Chip is with our project management firm and can be reached at cranno@atsitere.com or call (202) 728-9800 x 103. He would be happy to talk with you further about helping in these areas.
