Weekly Construction Update: 4/28/2011

The staging for the construction is proceeding as planned. The fencing has been erected on the south end of the Plaza.  Jersey barriers are now blocking off a segment of the curbside on Rush Street.  The temporary wall is being constructed along the south wall of the Diocesan Center lobby.  Note that the southeast and southwest entrances to the Diocesan Center will be out of service until the end of Phase 1.

Weekly Construction Update: 4/20/2011

The project team has begun weekly construction meetings and will update this blog with pertinent information following each meeting. This week’s updates are:

·         The general contractor, Pepper Construction, will begin to put up fencing and sidewalk barricades around the southern end of the Plaza on Monday, April 25

·         Pepper Construction will install a partition along the south side of the Diocesan Center lobby on Tuesday, April 26

·         The work hours for the construction site will be 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  No loud work will begin before 8:00 a.m.

·         The Groundbreaking Ceremony will be held Tuesday, May 24 at 5:30 p.m.

Construction to Commence

Phase 1 of the Plaza Renovation, bordering the south end of the Episcopal Church Center building, will be the initial scope of work.  Pepper Construction will begin staging the work area on Wednesday, April 20.  Expect to see fencing and equipment being brought onto the site.

Demolition and construction will begin on Monday, April 25.  The existing concrete plaza will be removed and new granite pavers will be installed. Phase 1 is currently scheduled to run through July 27.

See the Plaza Level Plan and the Plaza Lower Level Plan for more information about the scope and tentative timing of the entire plaza renovation project.

Plaza Level Plan

Plaza Lower Level Plan

Aerial Rendering of Plaza

The plaza will be transformed into a city park, an oasis of calm just one block west of North Michigan Avenue.

Plaza Features



The new plaza will feature granite pavers, ample seating, a fountain, regional plantings and a labyrinth.



Street View of Plaza

Close Up View of Labyrinth

Proposed Renovation Schedule

Introducing the Plaza Renovations at 65 East

Anglican identity is not found in closing doors and narrowing choices,

but in invitation and opening of hearts.

— Bishop Jeffrey D. Lee

When someone walks by 65 East Huron, what does he or she discover about the Episcopal Church? Why does one person keep walking, another pause to consider the iconic architecture of a 19^th Century church or a 20^th Century office building and expansive plaza, and still another to enter our spaces?

As a resource to our 41,000-member diocese, the Episcopal Church Center represents more than just our long and admirable history of ministry in our communities; it represents the potential and the promise of our future to the Episcopal Church, to Northern Illinois and to the City of Chicago.

St. James Commons, the name recently chosen to refer collectively to the Episcopal Church Center, St. James Cathedral and the Plaza, is a statement about our church, our faith, our values, and how we envision our future.

We are engaged in a philanthropic initiative to re-invent our home in the heart of Chicago, and have created an architectural redesign that will create a space to serve more effectively as a resource center for our congregations, and a space that will become a place for people in the City to connect with each other and God, bringing us together in an atmosphere that values openness, hospitality, diversity and intellectual stimulation.

The Plan

· Our philanthropic initiative to-date allows us to break ground on a complete renovation of the Plaza.

· Future plans include new link and welcome center, renovated common areas and meeting rooms.

The Timeline

· Plaza Renovation – April 13, 2011 – May, 2012

· Plaza Dedication – Spring, 2012

Our Mission

Grow the Church. Form the Faithful. Change the World.