By Deirdre Parker Smith
dp1@salisburypost.com
Sacred Heart’s building committee chairman Mike Vaeth and project manager J.R. Dunkley say the building of the new church campus has been excellent.
Dunkley, who has been on site almost every day working with J.F. Schultze construction, says “It was developed and executed as planned” and came in on time and in budget ó the best outcome for any construction project.
Vaeth, too, praised the construction company and the entire process.
Dunkley says it all went smoothly because, “it’s what’s known in the industry as a team build.
“We selected the construction company before we started the project. They came on board with the basic plans then developed the final plans and schedules with us.
“Schultze’s involvement was extremely helpful. They understood our needs and schedules,” Dunkley says.
It was the first big church project the company has done; they’ve now been hired to build the new Catholic church in Forest City.
Vaeth has also spent a fair amount of time on site. He worked on getting the liturgical items for inside the church, along with Ray Paradowski, chairman of the capital campaign committee.
Paradowski went to Buffalo, N.Y., to look at the pews Sacred Heart was buying and the Stations of the Cross.
The altar came from Our Lady Help of Christians church after sitting in pieces in a barn for years.
Rich Murray, a marble setter from Illinois, put the altar back together and helped install it in the church.
“It has been pretty good,” Vaeth says of the project. “We have a lot of people with good talents who put a lot of time in ó Tom Weber, Steve Antosek, Ray, J.R.”
Vaeth and Dunkley say the sound system is impressive and well-controlled.
“I don’t think you’ll here anything like it anywhere nearby,” Dunkley says.
The old and new stained glass windows were handled by Statesville Stained Glass. Parishioner John Brincefield’s company provided the sidewalks.
Weber and Paradowski were chairmen of the Capital Campaign.
The Building Committee includes Vaeth, Clarence Beaver, Ted Blanton, Cris Brincefield, Gerri Butler, Wilbur Boltz, J.R. Dunkley, Mike Hallett, Susan Harrison, Joe Miller, Owen Miller, Paradowski, Mary Frances Roueche, Dorothy Setzer, Steve Simpson, Gray Stout and Heather St. Aubin-Stout, Diana Timmerman, Sr. Ma Seldita Tiorosio, Weber and Jim Wilbur.
The Dedication Committee includes Chairwoman Mary Frances Roueche, Mary Goodman and Pat Rigsby.
“It has been an outstanding project,” Dunkley says, adding that he has worked with many large construction firms in U.S. and Schultze did extremely well. “They are very diligent.”
The cost of the entire campus came in at $9.4 million, including what the Diocese of Charlotte contributed to build the new road Lumen Christi Lane.
Dunkley also gives much credit to McCrery Architects, which designed the liturgical element of the church.
Dunkley points out several things that made him feel the project was successful.
“One is the architectural design of interior is excellent, and it’s significant that we were able to use so much from the closed churches. The school is very functional.
“It has an outstanding sound system and the size of the church is a big plus. We have room for growth.”
He also says the Mazzolini Artcraft Co. did an outstanding job on the marble.
And he was pleased with architect Gray Stout’s overall design.
Dunkley says the total package is inspiring. “Once you enter the land, from a religious standpoint, you see a site with a school, a church, a cemetery, all inclusive. I believe in Salisbury that’s the first time you’ve seen all of that come together.”