I'm not sure the link you mentioned gives adequate criticisms of the seminary project.
Could you tell us your own views on the matter, given your background?
One thing is certain, there always those who push for new construction and they have very standard answers to "justify" huge outlays of money for dubious advantages.
"reduced maintenance" is a classic one. "age" is another - as though the Church isn't famous for its ancient buildings!
An obsession with new building projects is part of the spirit of the age we live in. Out with the old, in with the new, neo-traditional, in range of DC and conciliatory to conciliarism, Judaism, and the incipient totalitarianism that is now developing throughout the Western world.
You ask for my own view, I offer these thoughts. This coming Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday. What do Shepherds do? They keep sheep and watch the flock. But our shepherds are not watching but fleecing their sheep. The thirty some FAQs the SSPX published regarding the new seminary highlights all of the reasons they percieve we need a new facility. All of these reasons cost money. They do not address this money question. The only place they plan to get the money is from their sheep. And they will fleece them to get it. They will take our wool, take it to market and use the money for their purposes. These are not Good Shepherds. Our Lord said something about His sheep, saying He knows them and they know Him. That is not the case here. Our shepherds know us, but we do not know what they are about to do. Somewhere in the FAQs, they state they have about 11% of the money needed. That is only $2.5 million. That leaves more than $47 million still needed. Where does that come from? The sheep. We are about to be fleeced. They will not fleee me, and most of you will not likely be fleeced. But, I look at my parish. Most of the people there are of ill will. They do not want to hear anything contrary to +Fellay. They believe +Fellay is next to God, so when the shepherds get the clippers out, they will willing submit to a clipping.
I don't say this because I am cynical, which I probably am, but I say this because I know funding is needed. I understand how funding works. Many projects in which I am involved require me to be an integral part of the funding phase. Architectural and engineering drawings are prepared to such a level of finish that very accurate cost estimates can be prepared which will identify all costs. These estimates are then used as an integral element in the fund raising process. That fund raising process has not happened in any formal manner other than the Christmas and Easter "send money" appeal. And here is the really big bomb, just so you understand of course, the $2.5 million they have will not pay for the design architect/engineers fee. Typically those fees are 8% to 12% of the construction cost. This money can only come from the sheep.
I am sure all of you are familiar with the painting of Our Lord carrying the lost sheep on His back, the true Good Shepherd looking out for His sheep. Sadly, our SSPX shepherds, Our Lord's representatives here on earth would rather sheer the sheep (physically) than nurse them (spiritually) back to health.
Listen carefully, you can hear the buzz of the clippers now.
Oh, one other thing. Krah seems to be sitting on something in the range of 80 to 90 million Euros (which I understand is SSPX money), which would be well over $100 million US dollars. They don't seem to mention this in their FAQs (maybe they do, so don't hold me to that comment). Even if they did mention the money, I would not look for them to write a $50,000,000 check to the Virginia Seminary Building Fund. So, it keeps coming back to the fleecing of the sheep. Maybe someone would like to comment on the Krah fund.
Good Shepherds? Phooey, I don't see any.
One more one more thing. The link does not actively criticize, it points out many, many facts. We all have brains which God gave us, let us use them. We can read the link and ask questions. The fleecing by the Good Shepherds is just one such question.
Jake