Arts Center Could Fill Idle Church Building

The old Christian Science Church sanctuary at 801 Magnolia could become the home of a new local arts center. City Council gave city staff the go-ahead to look into a concept for reviving the building presented by a group of Piedmont residents Monday.

801 Magnolia has been lying fallow for some time. The city purchased the property, which also includes a Sunday school building, for $735,000 in 2003; City Administrator Geoff Grote told the council Monday that the church had ceased holding services there long before that. The city put renovations on hold while a master plan to redevelop the city center, which could have involved tearing down the sanctuary, was being considered. That plan died, and given the current economic climate, Grote predicted any redevelopment is a long way off.

In the meantime, the newly incorporated non-profit Piedmont Center for the Arts (PCA) wants to fix up the sanctuary and use it as a venue for intimate music, literary, and art events and a home for other arts organizations who would sublease space. Piedmont Choirs Executive Director Marion Atherton said Monday her organization was thrilled by the prospect of being able to consolidate its rehearsal and office operations in Piedmont as the anchor tenant.

But the rehabilitation is going to take a lot of work.

The building needs a new roof and new windows, it's fraught with mildew, and would have to be upgraded for handicap accessibility. Nancy Lehrkind, representing PCA, estimated it would take about $35,000 worth of repairs just to open the doors, with tens of thousands more needed to complete the rehab.

"[The building] needs love, but we're prepared to give it a lot," Lehrkind said.

She said PCA already has $10,000 in pledges from supporters in the community and promises from contractors to defer billing for the rehab up to six months while the organization continues fund-raising. Revenue from subleasing would cover the estimated $14,400 in annual operations costs.

PCA is asking for a 10-year rent-free lease. That has immediately raised some eyebrows. In recently with the Swim Club over the lease of the municipal pool, the city's insistence on cash rent was a major sticking point.

Swim Club President Tim Rood submitted a letter to the council suggesting that the city demand that a lessor of 801 Magnolia agree to the same terms that it wanted from his organization, including an annual $33,333 contribution to a capital improvement fund, 750 hours of free access for the school district each year, indemnification for the city against claims related to use of the property, and an allowance for the city to approve upgrades and repairs at the tenant's expense.

Without drawing conclusions about what the duration or any other provisions of a lease should be, Grote contended that in lieu of rent, the city would benefit from the rehabilitation of the sanctuary.

"The truth about the building is, it's not in good shape. The rent would be to bring it up to some useful condition," he said.

Councilman Jeff Wieler argued that PCA's proposal for leasing the sanctuary was analogous to the pool only in that it involved using private money to develop a municipal property.

"The swim club was created that way and the city now has a terrific asset as a result," Wieler said.

Lehrkind assured the council a lease would include a termination clause should the city come up with development plans, but she said a lease would have to guarantee PCA tenancy for at least six years.

"It can't be done on a fly-by-night basis," she said. "We want to build an institution."

The city has not yet entered into lease negotiations with PCA. For now, council simply directed staff to pursue the art center concept further.