Building & Property Committee Update: Site Renewal
Rendering of the proposed multi-purpose auditorium space in the sanctuary basement. This space would be ideal for smaller ministry presentations, a chapel space, video presentations, etc.
2 renderings of the proposed new multi-purpose ministry space to be located under the Winchester Rm, and the current North kitchen / library. This space would be ideal for camp, Knox Youth Dinner and Foodbank, and family ministries.
This is a very important and exciting time in Knox Church site renewal effort. After 6 years of work, the Building and Property Committee (BPC), with the unanimous support & approval of Knox Church leadership (Session, Trustees), presented the Site Renewal Plan to Knox Church members and adherents in late November 2020. Since that time, the BPC, in collaboration with the wider leadership at Knox Church, has engaged extensively with Knox Church members and adherents around the Site Renewal Plan (including compiling, responding to, and distributing a complete list of questions and concerns raised by congregants, and hosting a Q&A meeting on January 21st).
We are now looking forward to a congregational meeting by Zoom at 1pm on February 28th (link to be emailed to those in our database), when Knox Church members and adherents will be asked to vote on a motion to approve moving forward with the implementation of the Site Renewal Plan. Please note, for the Site Renewal Plan vote, each member and adherent will be emailed a ballot on Feb. 28th, and will have until March 14th to submit their vote to Knox Church administrator.
The BPC would like to highlight some important information with regards to the Site Renewal Plan below:
Knox Church currently has an extensive maintenance deficit on its site and facilities, which the BPC projects to be well in excess of $10 million.
The Site Renewal Plan aims to eliminate the maintenance deficit by generating funds through leasing portions of property to the South and North of Knox Church main building
Lease revenue will enable the funding of a major renewal of the main Church building for mission and ministry, including extensive new multi-purpose ministry spaces in the Church basement, a new commercial kitchen, all new mechanical systems (electrical, plumbing, heating / ventilation / air conditioning), and more
The Site Renewal Plan is designed to position Knox Church as a community hub, empowering future ministry leaders to engage the wider community (more green space, a social enterprise space, housing, new & renewed Church spaces, improved daycare facilities). This is important as we look to position Knox Church for the next 100 years of mission and ministry at Harbord and Spadina.
The Site Renewal Plan aims to provide as much, or more, usable ministry space than Knox Church currently has
Additional benefits of the Site Renewal Plan for Knox Church include; an inspiring new North side entrance, a new gym for the Church to use exclusively for 40 hours a week, dedicated underground parking, a new loading area on the South side
20% of the new residential units in the South side development will be affordable housing, with 50% of those units being made available to Knox Church members and adherents who qualify. We project that 10-15 households in Knox Church can benefit from this affordable housing
The lease(s) will provide a 99 year (min.) revenue stream for Knox Church (min. $300-$400k / year at outset) that will increase every year with inflation. It is important to note that Knox Church will continue to retain ownership of the entire property.
In addition to funding the renewal of the main Church building, Session has now committed to prioritizing using some of the lease revenue to fund missions at Knox Church
The BPC remains firmly committed to hearing and responding to all feedback from Knox Church members and adherents. For a detailed synopsis of the Site Renewal Plan we ask that members and adherents refer to the November 26th Site Renewal Plan Presentation slides. We recognize that God works through the body of the Church, and trust that this feedback process will help to strengthen the Site Renewal Plan. To that aim, if you have additional feedback / questions that you would like to share with the BPC, please do reach out to us by email at tom@knoxtoronto.org. We would be thankful for the opportunity to engage further on this important work.
We humbly ask for your continued prayers for Knox Church site renewal effort. As a Church body, we are relying on God’s grace to guide us through this challenging process.
