July 03, 2008 -- 30th of Sivan, 5768 || Today’s Hours: 5:30 AM - 10:00 PM

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Renovation Q & A

What is the plan?
This is the most comprehensive renovation/new construction plan in the history of the St. Louis JCC. We have completed renovations to Camp Sabra at the Lake of the Ozarks and will now begin to undertake the job of upgrading the Marilyn Fox Building in Chesterfield, which is now 10 years old, and our Carlyn H. Wohl Building, which was built in 1963. Fortunately we have developed a plan that will require very little service disruptions and we are working to limit those to a very small number.

In Creve Coeur, we will build a new facility that will house our comprehensive fitness facilities (click here for more details on our new building amenities) on open ground that will face Schuetz Road. Once that structure is complete (about 1.5 years from groundbreaking), we will move administrative offices to temporary quarters in the old fitness areas and renovate the Administation/Cultural Arts/Early Childhood areas. Once this renovation work is complete, staff will move back and we will demolish the old fitness center area.

In Chesterfield, we will expand into currently unfinished space to accommodate new services and facilities including massage rooms, improvements to the outdoor pool to accommodate more activities for older children and swimmers, more family locker rooms, upgraded adult locker rooms, expanded babysitting accommodations and increased square footage in the fitness area. All this work should be done while regular operations continue with minimal interruption.

Will the JCC stay open during renovations/construction?
We are thrilled to report that we have designed a project timetable that should require LITTLE TO NO SERVICE REDUCTIONS.

What is the anticipated ground breaking date for the Wohl Building/Fox Building?
Marilyn Fox Building
Phase I construction is underway and nearly complete as of October 1, with Phases II & III to follow upon completion. The anticipated completion for the Fox Building upgrades is December, 2007.

Carlyn H. Wohl Building
The JCC held a ceremonial groundbreaking on Monday, September 24. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first half of October and should take 18-22 months to complete. The Wohl Building construction will also be rolled out in three stages as described in the answers above. Our new fitness facilities will be ready toward the middle of 2009; our cultural arts, early childhood and administrative areas will follow about a year later.

Will Day Camp be affected by the construction?
Construction should not affect day camp at either location.

Will the outdoor pool at the Wohl Building remain open and will there still be an outdoor pool when everything is completed?
The outdoor pool at Wohl WILL remain open and eventually there will be a new outdoor pool in Creve Coeur.

What is the total cost of the project?
We are collecting final bids now, but we expect the cost of upgraded facilities alone will be nearly $32 million with additional dollars to enhance our endowment.

How will we pay for it?
We are fortunate to have a very supportive community that expands to each and every member. Shortly we will be talking to you about our Capital and Endowment campaign. No project of this nature or size can succeed without the generosity and support of members of the community.

Will we have a temporary entrance to the building during construction?
NO.

Will the Early Childhood program be affected when ground is broken at the Wohl Building?
Yes. We are finalizing a plan that we hope will affect our Early Childhood participants as little as possible, however, the current plan is to convert office space into wonderful new classrooms in the Wohl building for our infants and toddlers and then move all ECE classrooms into a temporary space until the renovation is complete. We know that the improvements to our space will enhance our ability to expand programming and will be well worth the effort.

Will I, or my child, be at danger from construction during the project?
NEVER! It is our commitment to you that we will never put your safety or the safety of your family at risk. All appropriate precautions will be taken to assure you are never in danger.

Will there be a health club membership and what will the Men's & Women's Health Club look like in the new fitness facility?
Yes, we are pleased to announce that the Men's & Women's Health Club will continue to operate. They will have separate locker room and socializing area. Some of the amenities now available to health club members exclusively, including the steam room, sauna and whirl pools will be available to all members in the new locker room setup. Upgraded lockers will continue to be available for rental on an availability basis.

Are operating hours remaining the same?
Yes.

Will activities/programs/services change?
We expect no changes in programming or services throughout construction, although there is a chance we may need to move a program or two off campus for a short period of time. We will know that as we get closer to the start of construction, and we will share those plans with you as they are developed.

Will the facility be shut down at any point during construction?
No.

Is anything being done to the ball fields, tennis courts and day camp grounds at the Wohl Building?
Upgrades are in our plan. How will we communicate with members during the renovation and expansion? It is our desire to communicate as often as we have new information to share. You can always contact us with questions. We encourage you to refer to our website (www.jccstl.com) for updates.

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If you have questions we may not have covered, please click here to e-mail them and we will address your concerns.