RANCHO SANTA FE — A grand opening celebration and major donor reception from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 27, will celebrate completion of The Church of the Nativity and Nativity School’s new Holy Family Activity Center, at 6309 El Apajo Road.
The day will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. Bob Baker, a primary contributor, will unveil a statue of the Holy Family which he commissioned from Italy. Parishioners and school families will arrive for the celebration at 4:30 p.m.
The blessing of the multi-purpose complex completes the original master plan of this Catholic parish, begun in 1985. The new facility includes a gymnasium, a stage, a science laboratory and a fine arts study area. At approximately 11,000 square feet, the Activity Center will provide a central gathering place for parish events, indoor sports and theatrical productions. The 1,000-square-foot science laboratory provides ample space for state-of-the-art science education.
Monsignor Lawrence Purcell, pastor of the church and superintendent of the school, credits the vision of the original founders of the parish and welcomes the interest of the local civic community.
“For the past 20 years, Nativity Catholic Church in Rancho Santa Fe has served the local community in a variety of ways,” he said. “Our new Holy Family Activity Center will help us continue to reach out to youth and young adults for the good of one and all.”
A $5 million fund raising campaign that includes $2 million for scholarships for San Diego youth is financing the project. The Hodges & Hodges architectural firm of La Jolla prepared the construction drawings based on the original building massing, site plan and programming done by Moore Ruble Yudell, the architects of the church and the school. According to Tom Delaney, project director, “The architecture is intended to be contextual, with the Activity Center blending into the campus rather than competing with Charles Moore’s iconic church design.”
The general contractor for the project is DPR Construction, under the direction of construction manager David Armstrong of DBA, Inc.
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