Construction begins

Dear Members and Friends,

As you might’ve noticed, the garage tenant vacated the space on May 31st when their lease was up. As the board voted to retain the property and develop the space, now that the garage is back in our possession, we have begun the process of fixing up (aka white boxing) the ground floor, for the purpose of signing a favorable lease with the right tenant.

We have been so fortunate to have people in our community whose expertise have been invaluable to us. Jay Tall, the dojocho from Aikido Schools of New Jersey, is our contractor. He has been instrumental in us being able to renovate our building. We are lucky to have him. I can’t thank him enough. Within the board, Junya and David have provided Steve Sensei and the board a greater understanding of the process, not to mention how much they do for the dojo on the regular.

Yesterday, Jay broke ground in the garage, removed the wall on the easterly side to widen the other stairwell and entrance. So, it all begins. Jay has preliminary plans to organize the boiler room, including preparing for HVAC, water, electricity, etc. Eventually, Jay’s crew will demolish the third floor to put up a temporary dressing room, so Jay can get started on the 2nd floor.

Please be patient and don’t be surprised if we pivot here and there. We also apologize for any excessive noise.

Due to several recent capital campaign gifts, including one from the San Francisco Aikikai, we are only $1,100 away from reaching our HVAC stretch goal. There is truly so much to be grateful for.

For all who have contributed to making this happen—thank you. It is enormously helpful for you to stay current in your pledge payments, as we are now in the “money out” part of the project. If you have any questions about your pledges, Mieke or Michael (Parrella) can help you by emailing fundraising@nyaikikai.com.

As usual, thanks for your support! I will stay in touch as we go forward.

See you on the mat,

Sharon Dominguez
Board President