IMTA Board President Jim Dillman announced yesterday that Charles C. Brandt Construction has been awarded the contract for the upcoming renovation of the south entrance and parking lot at Indiana Freemasons Hall.

The renovation will include a new ADA-compliant handicapped access ramp, replacing the old non-functioning wheelchair lift; complete repaving of the parking lot; extension of the parking lot to the Illinois Street sidewalk, which will provide 4-5 new parking spaces; and a fence around the west and south sides of the parking lot to help provide better security.

We hope to see construction start by the end of this month and be completed by the first of December.

I'm very pleased to announce that the contract for the renovation of the south entrance and parking lot of Indiana Freemasons' Hall has been awarded to Charles C. Brandt Construction. The renovation will consist of a new entrance and steps, the addition of an ADA handicapped ramp, excavation and resurfacing of the parking lot, the addition of several new parking spaces, and a new fence around the west and south sides of the parking lot. We're also doing a few cosmetic repairs around the basement entrance and the area around the trash dumpster. The new steps and handicapped ramp will be installed with heating coils to keep the ice and snow cleared from the surfaces. Construction should begin late this month or early next month and be completed by December 1.

The exterior lighting project should be completed sometime this week. The upper portions of the north, south, and west sides of the building will be illuminated with LED lighting. We're very excited about turning on the lights. The effect should be very impressive and draw a lot of attention to the building. This project is being partially funded by a $3000 grant from Indianapolis Downtown Inc.

We should also be awarding the contract for the expansion and renovation of the restrooms adjacent to the dining room on the second floor sometime this fall. This will be a valuable addition to our banquet and meeting facility. In addition, we hope to add new window treatments and make a few other aesthetic improvements to make it more attractive and functional.

We have also approved the purchase of a complete new portable public address system for use in the dining room and auditorium.

All of these projects, when completed, should represent more than $250,000 in improvements to the building. That does not include the complete renovation of the Indiana Masonic Home Foundation offices, which is nearing completion. The IMHF offices will have a new modern look and will include a new conference room. The Indianapolis Masonic Temple Assn. is grateful to the IMHF for their investment in the building.

As you can see, there are a lot of things happening at Indiana Freemasons' Hall. Much more is planned to get the temple ready for the 100th Anniversary of its dedication in 2009.

Jim Dillman
President
Indianapolis Masonic Temple Board

The Indiana Masonic Home Foundation office remodeling is taking shape. This photo shows the new reception area, just inside of the double doors on the north side of the Temple lobby. Offices and a new, modern conference room are progressing rapidly as well.

The new exterior LED lights are very close to completion. Barth Electric's crew strings cable between torrential downpours on September 7th.