April, 2007

Takanawa – The floor plans and exterior designs have been completed and approved by the LRPC and Board of Govenors. We are now reviewing the interior finishes, and the designers are pulling together a scheme that will keep a warm theme throughout the various rooms in the Takanawa Club. We are also taking most of our current furniture, which will complement these interiors and provide a familiar feel from the first day.

The Redevelopment team has been working on the construction costs, and we are on schedule to sign the Construction and Lease Agreements that shall enable the construction of the new temporary Club to start straight after Golden Week. Completion is scheduled for mid-December so that we can start the process of moving from Azabudai and be ready to open in early January. In preparation for the move, we are working on how to keep any suspension of services to an absolute minimum. We are also reviewing the House Rules to see if any amendments will be needed to fit the new facilities.

Azabudai – The schematic design was presented to the LRPC and the Membership in early January. Since then, the design team has been going through the complex process of determining the costs of the proposed designs. This includes a process known as “value engineering” that helps to identify how the new Club can be made more efficient in its design.

Financing for the Redevelopment is close to being secured, and we are now well advanced in completing many of the other financial aspects for the project, such as the management of tax. Neighborhood discussions and surveys for the environmental impact assessment have been continuing. As required by law, there have been two excavations in the Main Parking Lot to determine if there are any culturally significant relics, both of which have been inconclusive. On the first dig, small fragments of Edo-period pottery were found, and on the second survey a toilet seat of unknown age was uncovered! Further excavations may be necessary later in the year.

The overall schedule is now moving quickly, and by mid-July we will have the basic framework for the building design. We are also developing the interior design of many of the spaces, so that by the end of the year we should have a clear impression of how the Club will look like in 2010.