The proposed renovations are projected  to cost  $14 million dollars, and it is possible they could be upwards of that amount. It will cost about $3 million to fix/replace the building’s mechanical/electrical systems, replace the roof, remove asbestos from the ceiling, and take out vinyl flooring, etc. This is projected to be a 6-7 month process which the contractors Akman Construction hope to begin in early spring 2022. Then they hope to begin the planned extensive renovations in the fall of 2022.  (It should be noted that if the project were to be delayed for whatever reason, the costs will only go up.)

Bob Freedman, the fundraiser who has been hired for this project told the crowd that 6 million has been raise so far, with an additional 3 million likely to be confirmed shortly.

The architectural/interior design  team  (from Number TEN Architectural Group) presented renderings at the meeting that were dated from Sept 2018, and said  nothing presented was etched in stone, and  that there was a long road ahead to reach final renderings. The team spoke of bringing in more light to the building especially with more windows on the river side, with a balcony facing the river or  the idea of a solarium facing the river.  The renderings also showed raised wooden ceilings throughout the upper floor of the building.

One thing is clear already, which is that there is a division of opinion among members about keeping the pew seating in the sanctuary or changing it to moveable padded seating. If the seating were moveable, then if someone wanted to have a large social gathering the social hall could be extended into the sanctuary space to accommodate this.  Moveable seating allows for flexibility and offers opportunities for joint use between the event space and sanctuary. If seating is moveable then the whole upper floor aside from the bimah could be used as a banquet facility. Those who spoke in favour of keeping the pew seating talked about continuance with tradition. Some have memories of little children climbing over the pews to visit family members, and say that the pews build community.  Some like having their assigned seat in the pews. Others may want the bimah to remain, although in many of the rendering options the bimah was changed, with it being in the middle of curved theatre style seating.

One member spoke of how the plans were beautiful but not "holy" or "spiritual."  Aside from the "Aron Hakodesh being present", the design presented "could look like it was anywhere" (i.e. at any banquet facility) and not a synagogue. But other members expressed approval of the plans, with some indicating the plans were an investment in the future, and would mean that people in the Jewish community would want to have their life cycle events at the synagogue. 

The  congregation will have to grapple with the question of what to do with the pew seating-whether to remove it or not-but there will be lots of time to decide this issue.

There was also discussion about the rendering of a coffee bar for the downstairs space of the synagogue, with some members objecting to this idea. One said “This isn’t a Starbucks.” Other members, however, appeared to liked the plan. 

Architecht Lloyd Secter spoke at the meeting about how he and his son Dov had done a proposal incorporating a large extension to the lower level of the building , which included a studio for the Rabbi or Rabbis. The extension could be a three or four season one, but Secter pointed out these ideas had not at all been reflected in the renderings presented. Neil Duboff, Chair of the Capital Campaign assured Secter that his and Dov’s  ideas were “on the table, ” and would be considered.

Secter became emotional at the meeting saying that every effort should be made to bring Rabbi Matthew Leibl back to the synagogue. 

On a different note, one board member, Dr Ted Lyons indicated that it might be a good idea to put a daycare downstairs in the building, as the building would be in use more. A daycare was not in the renderings shown by the Number TEN Architectural Group. When asked about the idea of a daycare, Freedman said this could potentially be done in partnership with the Rady JCC, as they have a long list of people wanting daycare. Freedman estimated that the synagogue could have a daycare with 30-40 spots for toddlers. However, the synagogue would need to get the approval from the province for those spots and it could take a long time to get approval, potentially delaying the renovations to the building. There are also specifications of what is needed for a daycare, including an outdoor play area, which would need to be fenced off. 

Lyons also mentioned the need for the synagogue to market itself to the Jewish community and also to market its facility to the non-Jewish community  ( i.e. for business lunches or banquets in the social hall.) Lyons stated “Many non-Jewish groups would love to use this space.” This may mean that the synagogue in the future would have to hire a fundraiser who could raise donations as well as market the synagogue’s space/banquet facilities to the non-Jewish community. Of course, funerals would also be held at the synagogue, and if the upstairs had been booked for a business lunch, for example, the funeral would have to take place before or after the luncheon.