MASTER PLAN DEVELOPMENT:

HDBS is growing and so are the needs for additional facilities. We have a very limited space for the future development so it is absolutely necessary that we take the right steps that will allow us to maximize the utilization of our space. A few example areas where we are facing necessities for some changes, improvements, challenges etc. are mentioned below:

1. Improvement of Temple facilities
2. Improvement of Auditorium facilities (over crowding)
3. Impact of West Park opening
4. Addition of new dinning facilities and other facilities (west side) as planned
5. Increasing demand for class rooms
6. Improvement to the kitchen facilities
7. Priest Quarters
8. Storage facilities and management
9. Sports facilities
10. Parking
11. Beautification of our HDBS Campus
12. Improvements to increase our rental revenue (for example, make the current rental facility appropriate to handle smaller event rentals like Birthdays, Graduations etc, handle more than one event at the same time etc.)

Current EB and the facilities committee recognize that to find a good solutions for the issues described above we need local professional help to produce an updated comprehensive Master plan that can handle our current and future needs. Accordingly, we requested for architectural services from several local companies and after thoroughly reviewing multiple proposals we selected an architectural company. We hope this opening paragraph will give you an overview of our intention and give you a perspective to the following announcement.

Ray + Hollington (RHA) a well-known architectural farm in Houston has been selected as our Architect to analyze the current facility and come up with an updated comprehensive futuristic Master plan (10 to 15 year projection) and a scaled Model for our Durga Bari. We are very proud and excited to have a company of such high caliber who has designed over 65 Worship centers and even more educational and community centers in cities ranging from Houston to London, UK. We chose RHA for their extensive experience in design solution using combination of contemporary Western design with traditional Eastern character and elements. A balance between the two is our goal. An example of this could be seen in The International Buddhist Progress society in Houston, a 78 acre site designed by RHA. If you would like to know more about this architect please visit RHA website at www.rayandhollington.com. In the next two weeks the architect and his team will visit our HDBS site and collect information to progress their work. They are also going to interview EB and all other sub committees to discuss how to improve the appearances, mobility’s and the utilization of our facilities. Many of you have participated and given valuable suggestions for improvement to our facilities. But there are many others who have not had time to think about it or were not aware of it. We request that if you have any suggestions, new ideas or some changes in some area to improve our facility then please email your suggestions to our secretary Partha Chatterjee. Each sub-committee will form a group by selecting a few members from his group and a few from outside. If you would like to participate in person then please call Gopendu our HDBS president (832-276-2558) or Partha our HDBS secretary (713-829-5449) and they will arrange for you to join one of the groups based on your interest.

Bisuddha Datta
(Chairperson Facilities Committee)