Going, going, GONE!

If you look back at the posting for May 11, 2006, you will see pictures of the demolition of Building B, the first building of the four-plex to be demolished. In some of the pictures you can see the remaining buildings. Building A was demolished last fall to make way for the north parking lot. Today, April 15, 2008, less than two years after the first demolition, Buildings C and D were demolished. In the pictures you will see Building D and then Building C being nibbled away by the "track-hoe" driver. Apartment guests and volunteers had front row seats and many spent the afternoon watching the demolition. As the era of the old apartments ends, the era of the new apartments begins.

Open House and Dedication -- April 13, 2008

Friends and supporters of the Hospitality Apartments gathered on a beautiful Sunday afternoon for an open house and dedication of the new Hospitality Apartments. Take a virtual tour here of the sights that our visitors saw. At 2:30, emcee Bob Paddock began the program. Steve Sandifer gave the dedication prayer. Joe Hightower, president and one of the original founders of HRDF, spoke of the ministry at the Hospitality Apartments and of the construction project. He told of the involvement of his friend and neighbor Will Cannady (distinctive glasses and bow tie) who designed the building. He thanked Gensler Architects for its pro bono architectural work and presented David Calkins, head of the Houston office, with a bowl proclaiming that thanks. Bob surprised four couples, Ann and Ray Gearhart, Ann and Joe Hightower, Frances and John Hunter, and Lynn and Jon Stevens, with hand-painted plates picturing the apartments, a thank-you for the work that they had done during the relocation project. Priscilla Monson, a former resident manager, spoke about her time at the apartments and how much the apartments meant to her and her husband while they were here. Her comments about the sharing and caring, visiting and cooking, and working together ring just as true today as they did during Priscilla's stay. The program was closed with a traditional event at Hospitality Apartment events, the a capella singing of the Doxology. Praise be to God for the continuing ministry in our new apartments! (Also pictured are the architectural team from Gensler, and Mark Sacco, construction consultant, and Cliff Thuot, representing the contractor Spaw Glass.)

We're official!

The final "Certificate of Occupancy" was received March 24, 2008! As of today, 36 of 46 apartments are occupied. Minor repairs are being made in a couple of apartments, but our guests seem to be enjoying the new apartments. Work continues by the volunteers to ready the remaining apartments. (By the way, volunteering is good for the body! A couple of volunteers report weight loss of five pounds or more and an increase in strength!) The carpeting has been laid in the community room and what a difference it makes! Utilities to the two old buildings have all been disconnected and next week we expect to see empty space where the buildings are now.

Busy, busy, busy!

Volunteers have been working hard getting furnishings into the apartments and then getting the kitchen items washed and put away and the apartments cleaned. As of March 19, 34 apartments are occupied or in the process of being filled. Some of the original occupants have moved out and new guests are enjoying the apartments.

The community room has been cleared of all items that are not going to be part of the furnishings for that room. The room is truly large!

Open house reminder: Sunday, April 13 from 2 to 4 p.m. All are invited.

We're busy!

The date for the open house and dedication has been set for Sunday, April 13, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. The program will be at 2:30. All are invited to attend.

We've been very busy at the apartments getting the individual units ready for occupancy. (Too busy to blog!) As of today, March 7, 22 apartments are occupied with another 2 ready for new guests. Tomorrow we hope to get the rest of the third floor, west building, cleaned and ready for new guests. All of the new mattresses, refrigerators and TVs have arrived. New recliners will arrive in a few weeks.

There was a wonderful article about the Hospitality Apartments in the Houston Chronicle's Business section last Sunday. Several people have inquired about volunteering or making a donation as a result of the article.

Still moving!

On February 2, eight guests were moved into the third and fourth floors of the east building (see previous blog). On February 9, eight more guests were moved in on the third and second floors of the east building. Tomorrow, February 19, the first guest will be moved into the west building, on the fourth floor. One more guest from the old apartments needs to be moved and then we will be able to begin housing guests from the waiting list.

We are still waiting for some of the finishing details to be attended to so that we may order and have space for the remaining needed refrigerators and beds. (The majority of the apartments have new refrigerators and mattresses.) We are also ordering new recliners but are using the old ones until the new ones arrive in a few weeks. Once the refrigerators and beds arrive, we will be able to finish furnishing the remaining apartments.

Other milestones include holding the annual meeting in the community room on February 10. Thanks to volunteers from St. Luke's United Methodist Church, the middle section was cleared and swept and tables and chairs set up. (See first and second pictures.) There was still stuff on the periphery, but there was much less that when we first moved into the building! (See October blogs.) And there is less now. Each day more items are being sorted through and put in the apartments in anticipation of new guests. One of today's pictures shows the tables with sorted items on them. A month ago, we would not have been able to set up those tables! Someone even played a short tune on the piano the other day. For months we didn't even know we had a piano.

Landscaping is being done. Note the beautiful view of the courtyard area from the fourth floor. Also on February 16, a group of men (see picture) arrived to dig up and ready for planting some 147 feet of hedge. The hedge has now been replanted around the north parking lot. Some of their wives and a couple of children came, too, and helped sort/organize the many sheets that need to go into apartments.

Laundry equipment has been installed on the third floor. As soon as an electrical problem is fixed, it will be available to the guests. We have four new washers and four new dryers there and will have the same in the laundry room on the second floor.

Volunteers have been most generous in giving their time to help with the move. They have done "fun" jobs including moving stoves, assembling bed frames and headboards, hanging pictures, doing laundry, packing up unwanted dishes and other items to give to the resale shop, checking out and repairing stoves and vacuum cleaners, making pillow covers for the throw pillows, matching sets of silverware, painting lamps, cooking food, doing dishes, saving light bulbs, cleaning bathrooms, carrying a multitude of things, helping guests move their belongings, and much more. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of them.

Moving Day for Eight Guests!!!

Saturday, February 2, eight guests were moved into apartments on the third and fourth floors of the east apartment building. In the coming weeks, as more apartments are readied, the remaining guests in the old apartments will be moved and then new guests will be invited to the new apartments. The pictures speak for themselves.