Hi to everyone on the committee,
I went this morning to look at Stepping Stone
Theater in St. Paul, about four blocks north of the Ten Thousand Villages Store,
just the other side of Summit Ave. What I liked about it is that the worship
space is definitely big enough, and it is handicap accessible, with a new, big
elevator in a convenient location. And Julie, with whom I spoke, seemed
like a very friendly, helpful person, representing an outfit that genuinely
wants renters.
The downsides are:
- worshiping in a theater that is now closed off
from outdoor light (it used to be a church sanctuary)
- There would be stage props up in place during the
theater season, which is most of the year
- It may feel too big for us--seats for 300 in the
lower level
- the seats are typical theater style seats. Or is
that a problem, compared to hard wooden pews?
- classroom space: 1 big room that would need to be
divided, and another moderate size room; then we'd have to make do with an
entry foyer and the auditorium for any other Christian education
classes
- no space amenable to big meals and fellowship
time, only a tiny "kitchenette."
- cost could be over $500 a week, unless they give
us a break. I told them what we're paying, and, at best, we might find
something in the middle.
- storage space is uncertain-that struck Julie as a
new idea--and office space is currently out of the question.
- Street parking is more tight and iffy, since some
of the streets around Stepping Stone only permit parking on one side, though
we may be able to use parking at the William Mitchell law
school.
Despite the handicap accessibility issue, I do not
feel as positive about this space as I did about Kehilat Sar Shalom. I'll be
looking today at their website and the visitor information they sent along with
me to see if there may be any issues of incompatibility.
I also have called Fr. Kevin at St. Peter Claver,
who directed me to the Catholic Mutual Insurance Co, which handles space rental
issues for the local archdiocese. There I was told about three places to
check:
- Trinity Catholic School, 835 E. 5th St., St.
Paul
- St. John's Catholic School in St. Paul, 951 E. 5th
St., St. Paul
- rooms, maybe a sanctuary, at the St. Lawrence and
Newman Center by the U of M, Dinkytown area.
Of these three, I have called Fr. Johnson at the
latter one, the Newman Center, and am waiting for a return call. The first two
are out there, off of I-94, just east and north of downtown St. Paul, near Metro
State University. Is that too far east for our search? You weigh in, Jim, you
all are pretty far west.
What do you all think?
Mathew