Project History

 

1999

  • Town Hall Meetings create Parish Master Plan; new church is highest priority
  • Preliminary application for new church location filed with the City of Fremont

2000

  • Meetings begin with city staff, neighbors, and City Planning Commission
  • Capital Campaign part 1 “To Build Church” begins
  • Ministry Houses 1 and 2, our parish storage building, and land for future multipurpose building purchased from Dominican Sisters

2001

  • Parish hires architect, general contractor, engineers, and environmental consultants
  • City Planning Commission gives preliminary approval of location for new parish church
  • Parish town hall meetings gather ideas for new church

2002

  • Parish building committee tours other churches to view design alternatives
  • Building committee works with architect to create preliminary design for new church
  • Town Hall meetings update parish on proposed design for new church

2003-2005

  • Building committee meetings with architect continue
  • Initial environmental studies required by the city are completed

2006

  • Fremont’s Historical Architectural Review Board, Planning Commission and City Council approve exterior design and location of new church
  • Capital Campaign part 2 “Building a People of Faith” begins
  • Monsignor Simas blesses the future location of our new church

2007

  • Rectory is moved from the future site of our new church to a new location farther up the hill on St. Joseph Terrace

2008-2009

  • Surplus lots owned by Parish on Monticello Terrace are sold to raise funds for our new church
  • Great Recession begins; third capital campaign for new church project is put on hold
  • Diocese approves Parish plan to sell surplus land at St. Joseph Cemetery to raise additional funds for our new church; sale contract to developer falls through because of Great Recession; parish decides to start over and hires a development consultant
  • Restoration of eight stained glass windows in storage is completed for use in new church

2010

  • 25th anniversary of the reconstruction of the historic mission church is celebrated with Bishop Emeritus John Cummins
  • 50th anniversary of St. Joseph’s School is celebrated with Bishop Salvatore Cordileone
  • Parish adds columbarium in Old Mission cemetery to raise funds for new church

2011-2015

  • Environmental and other required reports are completed for proposed residential development of surplus land at St Joseph Cemetery
  • Fremont Planning Commission and City Council approve the parish’s development plan for the surplus property at St Joseph Cemetery
  • Surplus cemetery land is sold to developer; construction of new homes by developer begins
  • Developer shares new home revenues with Parish as provided by the property sale contract; parish savings for new church project exceeds $8 million

2016

  • Diocese approves Parish request to resume work on new church project
  • New California law (AB 52) creates a new environmental impact report category called tribal cultural resources
  • New church design is simplified to reduce estimated construction cost and any potential impact on archeological resources

2017

  • Bishop Michael Barber approves the design of our new church
  • Updated building plans are submitted to the City of Fremont
  • City informs Parish we must reapply for project approval
  • Work begins to update previous environmental studies required by City
  • City adds new requirement to show how all parking for the new church will be provided without using any on-street parking or parking lots across Mission Blvd
2017 new church rendering

2018-2020

  • Parish completes updated environmental reports and the required parking plan
  • City requests additional archeological investigation of the new church location
  • Exploratory excavations of building foundation locations, utility trenches and other areas potentially impacted by new church construction do not identify any archeological concerns
  • City contacts Native American tribal representatives to request comments on the church project (as required by AB 52); Two tribes designate our property as a tribal cultural resource under AB 52

2021

  • New church project placed on hold until cost and impact of AB 52 tribal cultural resource designation can be identified and resolved with the city and tribes