Grant Helps Local Church Revamp Building

recently completed a rehabilitation project on its front steps with the help of a $4,000 grant from Pittsburgh History and Landmarks.

As the old stairs began to crumble, Rob Hosken of Regent Square, chair of the property committee, realized something had to be done.

“We had identified this part of the building as one of the main urgent needs at the front steps,” Hosken said. “The mortar had come out of the joints and water was getting in, and they were in danger of crumbling and falling apart and there is actually a part of the building underneath the steps, so we didn’t want that to fall apart.”

Hosken said the church first applied for a grant from Pittsburgh History and Landmarks to help with the cost in 2008, which was the year of the economic downturn across the country. The program was cancelled that year.

In 2010, it was the first year the organization started it back up again and so Hosken said the church reapplied, and was successful.

The work on the front steps began in May and finished in June.

“We have done a lot of strategically looking at the whole building here and came up with a prioritized list of things that we need to do, and our total list is fairly sizable in terms of how much it would cost to get things repaired, but this is a good start because it’s highly visible,” Hosken said. “A lot of the other things that need to be done and have already been done are things you don’t see every day.”

Hosken said the church has spent about $75,000 so far over the last two years on projects to revamp the building. The main heating system for the building recently was replaced, cutting the gas bill down by 50 percent.

“Being an elder of the church and knowing the church is about mission, I try to keep that in mind in my own special way, try to make sure the building is taken care of,” Hosken said. “We realize that in order to stay in this location and fulfill our mission, it’s important to have a building that is functional.”

The building also is used by other outside groups, including Alcoholics Anonymous, an art group and a psychologist's office.