The ribbon cutting for Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 7141 California Avenue s.w. took place today shortly after 10:00 a.m
Sept. 12 to formally introduce the building to the community as well as the congregation. The first service was held just after the opening ceremonies.

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The congregation purchased the building that once housed the Gatewood Baptist Church in April and needed to make many renovations to improve the facility and get it ready. The process lasted from May, when they first acquired the property until mid-September. With a 60 year old building, they completed an extensive repair & renovation prior to moving in. These repairs included installing a new sound system, accessibility upgrades, painting, electrical and plumbing upgrades, new furnishings, kitchen upgrade, garden design and more.
There are still a few loose ends but the process is essentially complete.

Community Liason Laura Matson said, "The thing that makes it feel like home is the volunteer labor that went into it. People just kept coming and coming and coming. People who didn't know how to paint or construct would bring lunch to those who did. It was a community effort. We had kids here who were helping vaccum and paint and wash. Paula Van Haagen said, "The other night we had two meetings and the marimba band practicing all at the same time and we couldn't do that before."

Burt Gulhaugen, is the new music director (known by many through his affiliation with the West Seattle Glee Club) and should find the space, including multiple music spaces, a pleasure. But beyond the space one member donated a brand new Yamaha Baby Grand Piano that now sits on the stage of the Sanctuary. There's also a member donated upright piano in the basement.

The Sanctuary, the primary space for the congregation has all new paint, new carpet and other fixes including wheelchair accessibility.

One new room is the Fireside/Comfy room with large comfortable furniture and a member donated electric fireplace. "I'm thinking the next room I want to name it The Spa," Matson said laughing. There is plenty of new carpeting (covering old linoleum) throughout much of the facility.

Another room, built for meetings, has been named The Cloud Room up on the third floor with a great view out the oversized windows.

Many of the windows have been replaced and one, the stained glass window at the end of the entry hall, is being removed and given to the former Gatewood Baptist church (now the LIfe Church) for whom the symbols have meaning. It will be replaced by a window being created by Seattle Stained Glass that will feature an image of the chalice that holds special meaning for the Unitarians.

Some windows had been painted, inadvertently but the effect was to reduce the amount of light that got through. UUC paid (and had volunteer help) to have all the functional windows scraped and cleaned. The result is a flood of natural light.

Downstairs the daylight basement had walls that divided it and the space was broken up. This large space has been fully renovated and opened up making it far more functional. It's suitable for community meetings and the church will rent out the space though no rates have yet been determined.

The kitchen has been cleaned extensively and served last weekend for a "soft opening" for a pancake breakfast that served 240 people.

Outside in addition to the paint around the foundation and other improvements, is a new and custom designed railing on the back stairway to the main parking lot. Member Creighton Depew said, "They were rusty pieces of wobbly pipe," he said describing the previous railing. Mike Cox, another member did the design and it was built by RAFN.

Rev. Peg Morgan said, " We have loved every inch of this place into beauty."

The total number of workers who completed the renovation was estimated to be more than 150.

"The best part of this for me, "said Morgan,"is the way in which this congregation has come together to make this our new church home. The way they have enthusiastically come and organized the tasks and set them out into motion, working together day and night. The other night I was here and I was turning off all the lights and I realized there was one more light down the hall and I was going to reach in and turn it off and there was Ron Corley, painting a door."

The formal dedication for the building will take place Oct. 24. More than 50 clergy from throughout our Pacific Northwest District will participate. The President of the national Unitarian Universalist Association will keynote the event.