More foundation work

See photo captions below for more info:

Skilled Services, LLC employee prepares a pier form

Central row of spread footers

Top of site is quite dry, allowing good progress today

Site superintendent  Dan G. standing next to plumbing trench which runs the length of the building. Gravel patches seen at the right/middle part of photo represent the location of the ladies room and nursery plumbing.

Piers where steel columns will rest

Front row of spread footers

"We took advantage of some beautiful weather"

That's the word from Dan, our site superintendent. We can happily report that the first structural elements of our building are in place. Five spread footers were poured today across the front of the building pad. These roughly 6 x 6 foot square pourings are the beginning of the foundation's backbone. On top of them will go concrete piers and (soon, we hope) steel columns. More foundation work is slated for Monday. Sorry for the lack of pictures -- stay tuned next week. And thank the LORD for good weather!

Action & progress

We still expect the footers to be dug this week, though once again the weather would seem to be opposed to us. The site is not terribly muddy at the moment; this may change as the temperature rises. The photos below (taken this morning) show the electrical contractor working on the underground service, batter boards for footers, recently-laid binder course (base gravel for the driveways), and the relation of the driveway path to the Clearview Court cul-de-sac. Give thanks for this progress and pray for more. (Click on photos for larger view)

McGaha electric employees working on underground electrical service

Back building corner

Snow on our parking lot

(Click for larger view)

This lovely truck in the snow illustrates something important about the plan of our Commerce Park site. The photo is taken from about where the front  door of the building will be, actually several feet above the level of the front parking lot. The truck is where that lot will be, albeit situated as if it were driving through the lot, not parked. The stepped down front lot means the building will not be obscured by cars parked in front of it. From a distance you can see the front lot; closer in you'll see only the building. We appreciate this thoughtful touch by our architects. Those who park around front will access the building entrance by way of a several concrete steps. Never fear, the side and rear lots are level with the building -- no steps necessary!

You may also notice that as the front of the site has come up much more of the roadway below is visible. Thankfully, this means more of the building will be visible too. Please pray for a stretch of good weather so the foundations can be poured and w can see steel beams begin to rise before the first hint of spring is in the air.