The New Covenant Impact Center, designed and constructed by Design Collaborative, Weigand Construction, and Engineering Resources, Inc., was awarded the Building Contractors Association’s 2021 Excellence in Construction Award for New Construction Under $6 million.
The BCA Excellence in Construction awards program recognizes outstanding commercial construction projects completed in the previous year and located within a 75-mile radius of Fort Wayne. Awards were given in four categories: Renovation Under and Over $2 Million and New Construction Under and Over $6 Million. Project submissions were judged by a panel of industry experts using set criteria for uniqueness, significance/impact to the community where constructed, BCA member involvement and the job safety record.
The new Impact Center is designed to be welcoming and a beacon to the community. A transparent façade denotes the openness of the church, and a beacon of light shines from the exterior at night. New meeting rooms, classrooms, a community space, a coffee bar, and more were added in the new Impact Center. The center was designed to allow for more adult learning classes, community outreach, and additional classrooms for church programs and daycare.
The growing church is committed to connecting and serving the community, celebrating diversity and unity. The most diverse area of Ft. Wayne, the southeast quadrant, has approximately 52,210 citizens, within three zip codes: 46803, 46806 and 46816. This quadrant has households that speak many different languages, including African (2.6%), Vietnamese (4.3%), Burmese (22.9%), Spanish (26%) and English (44.2%). Even with a diverse range of household incomes in this area, the southeast quadrant has the lowest average income per household in Ft. Wayne at $28,960. The community Impact Center houses mental health counseling, a preschool, restore and renew programming that mentors men and women who have been incarcerated, a sports academy, English as a Second Language courses, parenting and pre-natal care education, financial literacy education, diversity training, a free café, and job placement assistance.