Renewal Project Update: School Wing and Philip Smith Hall to remain open during Construction!
As you know, Phase 1 construction of our Renewal Project is scheduled to begin this fall, shortly after the High Holiday Season. Among many other components, this will include a magnificent new Central Atrium for the campus, which can be used for a congregational Kiddush or just as a place for our members to sit down and share a coffee or conversation.
A major priority in the planning of the project has always been to make transition to our new Holy Blossom as least disruptive as possible. This is no easy task when you consider the complications of building the next iteration of our wonderful synagogue on the very same site.
But the happy news is that our architects, working together with our Building Committee, have just recently found a solution that, even through the construction of Phase 1, will allow almost all of our facilities in the current school wing to remain accessible and operational – including the Philip Smith Congregational Hall.
Briefly, here’s what this means:
- The Philip Smith will continue to be available to our congregation as a multi-use facility, including family simchas. (However its foyer, directly beneath the new Atrium, will not be.) There will be a new entrance to the Philip Smith, likely from the Ava Rd. parking lot.
[blankline] - The 3rd floor Youth Chapel will remain open for Family Services, and can be used as an alternate location for weekday morning services.
[blankline] - As previously reported, the Main Sanctuary will remain open for Congregational Shabbat Services (and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs) throughout the entire construction period.
[blankline] - These locations, as well as the Herman Chapel (off the Main Sanctuary), will be wheelchair accessible. There will also be wheelchair accessible washrooms available on campus.
[blankline] - Our Rabbis’ offices and key Temple administration functions will remain on campus, temporarily relocated to space within the school wing.
Although life at Holy Blossom will undoubtedly be a little different through the construction period, we ask for your understanding and hope that our hard work and careful planning will result in as little change as possible to your daily experience as a member of our temple community.
We thank our architects, professional and lay leadership, as well as the large number of volunteers who have been working so diligently in order to make this happen. As we move into detailed design and as our transition planning continues, we will continue to engage with and seek input from the congregation and stakeholder groups. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments we want to hear them. Please reach out to us by clicking here.
