Application PDF The Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the City and Precincts of Baltimore d/b/a Lovely Lane United Methodist Church Improved Access to Historic Lovely Lane United Methodist Church Request: $99,115.00 Baltimore National Total Match: $99,115.00 Baltimore City PROJECT TITLE: Improved Access to Historic Lovely Lane United Methodist Church PROJECT SUMMARY: The overall project involves a series of discrete restorative and adaptive use components to transform underused space in the 19th century church building into a 21st century facility for increased non- sectarian use. The components identified for the overall project come from the 2019 final report of a Building Needs Assessment (BNA) Study financed in part by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. (See Attachments for copy of BNA Final Report). The grant project scope of work would focus on a single component among those identified in the BNA Study Final Report: construction of street front access ramp to the church for improved access for all building users and visitors regardless of mobility status. This component carries an approximate $220,000 cost estimate, less than 10% of the overall project cost of $2.6 million. This request for $99,115 in MHAA capital grant funding (and related matching funds) seeks to obtain adequate funding to fully complete this discrete component of the overall project. Other private and public funding sources are committed and/or being sought to leverage the completion of other project components. The ramp will be built on the north side of the church to access the building's north door, be 30 feet long, ADA-compliant, provide access from St. Paul Street on which the front of the church is located and preserve the historic elements of the exterior design. That historic design was the work of famed architect Stanford White to reflect the Romanesque style of churches in England and was built with granite blocks quarried from Port Deposit, Maryland. In October 2019, the church received a "notice to proceed" certificate from Baltimore City's Commission on Historic and Architectural Preservation (C.H.A.P.) based on the ramp design plans' consistency with the historic fabric of the 1884 building's exterior and ADA standards. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Project Description Lovely Lane United Methodist Church (UMC), a historic house of worship located in a Baltimore National Heritage Area (BNHA) designated area, is seeking $99,115 to complete the development of a street front access ramp to the 1884 church. This funding is part of a two phase $2.6 million bricks and mortar multi-component project beginning in 2020. The project's goal is to restore and rehabilitate the aging and architecturally complex 19th century structure to increase heritage tourism, improve visitor The Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the City and Precincts of Baltimore d/b/a Lovely Lane United Methodist Church - Improved Access to Historic Lovely Lane United Methodist Church - Page 1 3/10/2020 1 Application PDF The Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the City and Precincts of Baltimore d/b/a Lovely Lane United Methodist Church Improved Access to Historic Lovely Lane United Methodist Church Request: $99,115.00 Baltimore National Total Match: $99,115.00 Baltimore City experience, and build capacity for use of the building's underutilized space by residents, youth and artists from the surrounding Baltimore community Will any aspects of the project cause ground disturbance (utility lines, footings, underpinnings, grading, signage installation, etc.)? No ground disturbance anticipated Do any aspects of the project have potential to disturb lead paint, asbestos, oil tanks, or other hazardous materials? No How will completing the project accomplish the goals and objectives your organization? The overriding goals of Lovely Lane are to restore and rehabilitate the building consistent with its architectural uniqueness for more diverse uses in order to serve the community and Baltimore City at large as an artistic, educational, recreational and civic venue and to insure that the historic structure is preserved for the future so that even more visitors from across the state, nation and world can come to appreciate its heritage status. Creation of a handicapped accessible ramp will promote and support the increased usage of the structure that the overall project will create. We firmly believe that the envisioned project will permit our organization to operate more sustainably with its successful focus to "preserve" the building's local, state and federal historic register status while at the time to "inspire" greater numbers of building users and visitors alike to better appreciate Lovely Lane's unique heritage status and rehabilitated capacity as a community gathering place. How will completing this project accomplish the goals and objectives of your heritage area? The site of the project, Lovely Lane Church, is recognized by Baltimore National Heritage Area's 2013 Comprehensive Management Plan as a heritage resource both as a religious institution and because of its unique and historic architecture. (See BHNA CMP at 2-10, 2-11). Completion of the access ramp will accomplish the goals and objectives of BNHA in several ways. First, it will foster use of and visitation to a heritage religious institution that "contribute [s] ... to play[ing a] major role in growth and rebirth of the neighborhood" it serves. (BNHA CMP at 2-11). Hosting a greater number of community meetings and events will help assure the building's continued role as an anchor to the community. Hence, the project will accomplish the goal of BNHA to assist The Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the City and Precincts of Baltimore d/b/a Lovely Lane United Methodist Church - Improved Access to Historic Lovely Lane United Methodist Church - Page 2 3/10/2020 2 Application PDF The Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the City and Precincts of Baltimore d/b/a Lovely Lane United Methodist Church Improved Access to Historic Lovely Lane United Methodist Church Request: $99,115.00 Baltimore National Total Match: $99,115.00 Baltimore City neighborhoods in improving quality of life and becoming more visitor ready. (BHHA CMP, Goal 4, at 5-7 ). Second, updating the Church to encourage diversified uses and more visitors also will help sustain operations of the Church and thus its "visual presence" that contributes to the "richness of the urban fabric" of Baltimore. (BNHA, CMP at 2-10) Lovely Lane's iconic tower is a symbol of the Old Goucher neighborhood and a prominent part of the midtown Baltimore skyline. This project will help to assure that the architectural treasure designed by Stanford White can be appreciated by all and by future generations. Third, creation of easier accessibility will fulfill the BNHA objective of "improving the experience of visitors" to heritage sites. (CMP, Objective 3.3, at 5-6). DELIVERABLES: What will be the results of this project? What tangible and intangible deliverables do you anticipate? The primary tangible deliverable will be a 30 foot long ADA-compliant handicapped accessibility ramp with a switchback landing to access the north door of the church building street front facade. This ramp will include a fixed foot access stair for visitors seeking to enter the north facade door to the ground floor gymnasium. The intangible deliverables within the first 3 years post ramp completion include an anticipated minimum 30-50% increase of new visitors and building users annually (2019 base year = 1,485 visitors, 745 building users) to tour the heritage site, attend performing arts and cultural events, and participate in other civic and educational programs hosted by the church. This increase in building users and heritage tourists provides a direct opportunity to contribute to an initiative supported by significant public investment: the contiguous state-designated Station North Arts & Entertainment District (SNA&E). This increase in visitors and building users provides additional foot traffic and marketing opportunities to promote attendance at events, activities and commercial enterprises located in the adjacent SNA&E district. The construction of the ramp will eliminate the current need for mobility-challenged visitors to enter the building from the grade level rear of the church, winding through hallways to an elevator to reach area The Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the City and Precincts of Baltimore d/b/a Lovely Lane United Methodist Church - Improved Access to Historic Lovely Lane United Methodist Church - Page 3 3/10/2020 3 Application PDF The Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the City and Precincts of Baltimore d/b/a Lovely Lane United Methodist Church Improved Access to Historic Lovely Lane United Methodist Church Request: $99,115.00 Baltimore National Total Match: $99,115.00 Baltimore City of interest in the church. Hence, a significant intangible result of the ramp is to greatly enhance visitors' experience of an architectural treasure. How will ongoing maintenance costs be paid for in future years (if applicable)? A restricted endowment account (Restoration Savings Fund) has been set aside for maintenance of building capital expenditures (See Restoration Savings Account statement under Attachments tab). Planned giving life insurance contracts owned by the church and estimated to carry $450,000 in death benefits are expected to replenish current reserves over next 15-25 years. The operating