PRC Seminary History Being Made! New Driveway Project Underway

Today we do not look back (ok, maybe only a little) but forward, as PRC Seminary history is being made while we write. Today the new Seminary driveway project got underway and is progressing amazingly well in a few hours, with excavators and tree cutters on site. Led by Dan Schimmel, the crew has plenty of “PR” presence: Jay Kuiper (excavator), Ben Kuiper (his son and tree cutter), Larry Koole and Jim Schimmel (project assistants) – and many others to come.

In the last year the TSC (Theological School Committee) has approved constructing a new driveway to the south of our building, motivated in part by two bad winters that made going up and down the existing steep driveway a daily hazard, and in part by the increased traffic on Ivanrest Ave. (large mall to our northwest and a new Cabela’s store to our northeast, along with a host of new stores).

And, because we were in need of new paving on our parking lot, as well as more spaces, this is also being coordinated with the new driveway project, so that by the end of the summer we will have all new driving and parking spots. All are excited that we will no longer have to fear the dreaded Seminary hill in the winters ahead!

Along with this project come some other benefits. For the first time in our history we will have city water brought into our facility. Not only will we have better water to drink and use (and with that, no doubt, better tasting coffee!), but also the next time we lose power, we will continue to have water on our premises – a nice little benefit. And, with this driveway will come some better lighting, along the driveway (something we never had) and in the parking lot and Seminary front. We are also working to obtain a faster “pipeline” for our Internet service, so that we will have the capability to live-stream classes and events we want to in the future.

I said we would look back only a little bit today. The old driveway has served us well for many years. But in another month or so, it will be torn up and turned into nice grass. Can you guess how many years this driveway has been in place? Yes, that would be as old as this “new” building, when the Seminary moved out of First PRC’s basement. So, there is your PRC archive question of the week.