We've Come a Long Way!
Our Renovated Building is almost ready!
When my husband began talking about finding a new building to move his Veterinary Clinic, I thought he’d eventually drop the idea. It was the Fall of 2020 and finding real estate for sale, not just for rent, in Charlotte’s South End area appeared out of reach. After working with a real estate agent, however, he discovered a building, an old grocery store, located a half mile from his current site and thought about the possibility of making an offer to purchase it. After deciding to make the offer, someone beat him to make their offer.
It seemed that buying the building would not happen for us, but after a month, the funding fell through for the other offer which opened up the door for us again.
All this was happening in November and December of 2020 when the world was shut down due to the pandemic. I would get up early before teaching online, pray, read God’s Word and pour out prayers in my journal. God knew that I needed his comfort and confirmation if he really wanted us to own the building and renovate it. My husband and I would go on walks where he would talk through the details. I began to understand that if God wanted this purchase to happen, he’d open the door for us to buy it and renovate it.
After a few more days of prayer about whether to go for it, we made an offer which was accepted by the owner! Earnest money was provided to the seller. It was actually happening! In January, inspections began to be sure it was a solid investment. Finally, after more prayer, we decided to purchase the building in April of 2021 and selected an architect to design the inside and reimagine the outside of the building.
In the summer of 2021, the building was gutted. Everything was removed so the architect could measure and begin her process of reimagining this space. After viewing Veterinary Practices and medical offices on Pinterest, we shared some of our ideas that appealed to our style with our architect. We began meeting with her in the fall of 2021 to see her designs and started talking about choices that would fit into our budget for renovation. Our renovation budget was approved at the bank so work could begin in the first quarter of 2022.
Excitement is in the air because our building is in the final stages of its renovation. We’re so excited about the next month as the final pieces are installed and we can prepare to move my husband’s business into this new space during December. It is really special to me that God is wrapping up this process during the Thanksgiving season. Oh, how we are thankful!
I am sharing pictures from throughout this renovation process to give you a glimpse into the transformation!
Other than watching hours of renovations on HG TV, I had never witnessed first hand the complete overhaul of a building up close. I knew it would take time and it has been a long process, sometimes, painfully long since my husband at first, wanted to be out of his old location by early Fall of 2022. We knew, however, that with every new thing that was accomplished on the renovation, an inspector had to come and sign off before the next phase could begin. So, we waited patiently.
The building materials had been mostly arriving on time, despite delays that we had heard could happen with construction. We had to make one adjustment to the stone that we had originally selected for the front desk. Hearing that it would not arrive until November when we had hoped to be moved in by then made us tweak our stone choice during the summer. All of the planning guided the workers to use the building materials as they followed the blueprints.
Since the onset of the renovation in late February of 2022, I’d see the progress on our building each time that I visited. When I stepped foot on the property, I realized I came with great expectancy to discover what new part had been added since the last time I was there. It’s one thing to see an architect’s drawings with materials laying out in her office but quite another thing to see the stone installed on the front desk, to see the colors on the walls, to see the cabinets, to see the countertops, to see the layout with metal lines dividing the rooms, to see the sheetrock installed, and to realize that it was finally coming together.
We must have a certificate of occupancy (CO) once city employees come to inspect the building when it is complete which gives the green light for us to start moving. So before the CO could be signed, we waited and watched, wondered and wrestled, wanting nothing more than more progress to be made. As each update came from the architect and the project manager, we knew that more things were being accomplished. We couldn’t control the delivery of the materials or when the workers would start on new phases of the project. The architect, construction company and project foreman knew all the details of dates and determined when they expected their goals to be met. There were new heating and air conditioning units, a new roof, new paint for the exterior, new windows, new awnings and new windows cut into the walls. Decisions about technology, equipment for the Vet Clinic and security continued to be made. It has been a long process for sure.
I am glad to have been able to trust that the process was working to accomplish a completely renewed building from the pipes in the foundation to new outer walls, from a completely new layout of walls to form exam rooms and treatment areas to a brand new entrance, from dental and surgery rooms to a redesigned view of all sides of the building. It really is astounding to me to have only discussed the plans last Fall and now be able to see each detail installed.
We have a CO date now in the next few weeks and are elated to get to this next phase. The dream of renovating an old grocery store has now happened.
What once was not, now is.
I am still processing the months of waiting and contrasting those months with the way things are wrapping up in the last few weeks. As thrilled I am now, I remember the weeks and months of praying, of asking for God’s will to be done and for trusting as I wondered how God planned to work it all out.
I’ll admit, the old building had a long way to go to reach its new version. I see the picture above and remember the longing in my heart for what God would do during the process of tearing out, tearing down, and transforming. I could see the designs on paper and knew that work was happening, but it was hard to see any changes when just looking on the outside. A lot of internal work and roof work took place which didn’t change the facade of the building until much later. The inside work occurred then later the outside began to change into what we had seen in the architect’s renderings.
God is always up to something if we allow his idea of transformation. God knew his plan for this building and has known each of us from before our birth. He had us in mind and wants us to live lives that align to his plan for us which was to be reconciled to him. Sin broke our fellowship with him but through the gift of redeeming love, we have a bridge of hope. We know that turmoil happens and can tear apart our lives, even making them unrecognizable. God is able to do more than we can ever imagine so I remind you today to trust him as he carries out his plans because they are good and for your good.
It was by faith that we asked God for his will to be accomplished and prayed many times and on many days that he would grant wisdom to us on how to proceed before purchasing this building, while dreaming of what it could look like in the future and before demolition began. Our parents and children also prayed. Some of our faith filled friends were also praying for God’s will to be done even though we had not yet told them all of the details. Together we, through faith in God, prayed so that our walls could come down, be rebuilt and become the new location of Southend Veterinary Clinic!
The excitement of buying the building in 2021 made me expectant but it is now the end of 2022. I’ve had to keep hope alive during last Fall and Winter as we worked with the architect to envision what this gutted space could become. Spring and Summer came and went as the workers tirelessly travailed in following the architect’s plans. We’re almost there! God has made a way.
There is peace in trusting God in the process. God is in each day and is doing something new. I hope our story has encouraged you if you are walking through a time of the unknown or are in the uneasy space of believing God but you just can’t see what the other side of the process will look like. Keep believing and have faith in God. Read the Bible and pray. Sing songs of deliverance as I did many days while doing dishes to remind myself of God’s faithfulness.
I’ll keep you posted but for now, I invite you to rejoice with us as we thank God for allowing the renovation to be completed soon! I’ll send you a new letter after Thanksgiving. I pray you will find moments to ponder the things for which you are grateful. Please join us in praising God for how he has seen us through the purchasing and renovating process of our building. We’re so excited to open up for business during the first week of 2023!
Keep looking for the new things that you see God doing in your life and trust the process.
My Prayer:
Father, I thank you for hearing me. You always hear me. I praise you for the opportunity to see this story of faith play out over the last two years. You knew our initial uncertainty and excitement, our reservation to buy the building, our concerns over things we can’t control in the area and our ability to go through the renovation process. May we keep our eyes on you as the finish line is in sight. Only you know what lies ahead. We look to you as the author and finisher of our faith. You’re our provider and we thank you for all of the gifts that you have given.
May our goal be to always honor you with all that you provide for us. You, Lord, are doing something new. May we perceive it and move into the transformation. And like you, Father, may we rest and renew so that all that you have planned can be done in this building. Please protect all those who enter the building and are on the property.
In the strong and mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Blessings,
Lisa Maples
