BCC’s new home
In 2007, BCC’s membership growth and program participation accelerated our need for more space; our 3,400 square foot facility was increasingly unable to meet the physical demands placed upon it. To insure that we provide for the spiritual, educational, and social needs of our communal family, as well as the workspace needs of staff, both present and future, we determined that the time had come to seek a larger, more accommodating facility that would better serve the needs of our members. Among the desired features that a new facility would give us would be classrooms for both adults and children, separate offices for clergy and administrative staff, a separate social hall, a library/conference room, a room for child care, and a fully functioning kitchen.
That same year BCC entered into an agreement with a commercial real estate broker, to help us in our search for a new home. BCC members comprising our Real Estate Committee met with the agent at the end of May 2007 to lay out BCC’s search criteria (most importantly, our approximate budget and our initial search area).
Glenn Melnick, our real estate agent, was asked to begin his search within a few miles radius surrounding our current location. Our Real Estate Committee also considered looking at potentially suitable property outside of our desired area.
Expanding at our current location had been the subject of periodic discussion for many years. Exploring this possibility more, we learned that Los Angeles city parking regulations would require us to have many more parking spaces than are available at 6000 W. Pico. It would be prohibitively expensive (even if it were feasible) for us to create a sufficient number of new spaces.
We did not set a dollar goal for our capital campaign. The more money we could raise, the more real estate options and design features we felt would be available to us. The only goal we had was to make sure that our Capital Campaign Committee reached the entire membership by the end of the campaign, so that everyone was given the opportunity to contribute to our shared vision for the future.
BCC’s haimishness comes from its members, not from our physical location. As long as we remain true to ourselves, BCC will remain the temple that we all love, regardless of where we are located.
Watch the premiere performance of “House of New Life” performed during BCC’s new building dedication on April 10 2011.
