“I can’t tell you why there’s a delay, but stick your head out of the window and you’ll know why.”
— Baseball great Dizzy Dean
By BOB SMITH
Kitsap News Group
PORT ORCHARD — A weary Sean Jeu, general manager and director of operations of St. Vincent de Paul in Port Orchard, knows better than most the costs, trials and tribulations that our dreary, soggy winter has imposed on the non-profit organization as it slogs its way toward opening the doors of its new building situated between Bethel Avenue and Mitchell Street.
The cold, wet weather has delayed construction work on the 25,000 square-foot steel and corrugated metal structure, from pouring the concrete foundation and floor, hanging sections of metal roofing and insulation, and laying asphalt for the parking lot.
It’s enough to make one dizzy.
But the rain clouds have lifted enough to allow light to shine at the finish line. Jeu said he expects, weather willing, that the building will be ready for occupancy and move-in by the end of June.
“I talked to the fire marshal about the delay, and he said that’s typical everywhere to have delays because of the weather,” Jeu said from his current Bay Street location next door to Bruce Titus Port Orchard Ford.
“It’s been absolutely brutal (for construction). But,” he sighed, “It is what it is.”
Titus is the owner of the current St. Vincent location, who Jeu said is patiently awaiting the non-profit organization’s exit from the old building so it can be razed to allow remodeling and expansion of the car dealership’s new showroom and headquarters to begin.
With each day of rainless conditions, significant progress finally can be made on the new structure. “The weather has finally dried up quite a bit to where they’re starting to grade the parking lot,” Jeu said. “They’re getting close on the lot. The retaining wall still needs to be done, but the end of June looks pretty promising.”
Recently crossed off the construction to-do list, Jeu said, has been work to install the sprinkler system, and electrical and lighting. Plumbing work is almost complete. Inside the structure, steel studs separate the large space where a processing room and sales floor will soon take shape. After a few structural elements are completed, offices will then be created.
After the construction crew departs, it’ll be time for St. Vincent de Paul’s Port Orchard crew to take over and implement a finely orchestrated plan to move shelving, then merchandise to the 2.9-acre East Port Orchard site.
“With the help we’re getting, we can probably move the whole store in a little more than a week,” Jeu estimated. “I’m guessing I’ll shut down on a Friday and then open a little more than a week later on a Monday.”
Jeu originally had made arrangements with National Guard volunteers to handle part of the move, but “unfortunately, we’re missing that window of opportunity for them to help out” due to the weather delay.
The operations director said he’s considering using community volunteers to help with the move. “That would be great,” he said.
“I honestly believe that if we can get another 20 to 40 people, that’d really be gooed. I’ve had meetings with our employees about the process of how we’re going to move. They’re ready, but some help would be great.”
