Grace Community Building Development Plan

Photo Credit: David Schalliol

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

Grace Church of Logan Square has a plan to fully renovate its building at 3325 W Wrightwood Ave in order to provide open and accessible space to the community. This plan was developed in conversation with Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Logan Square

Preservation, Unity Park Advisory Council, Chicago Park District, and St. Luke’s Lutheran Church.

This project involves interior renovation of the existing building with the promise of opening church space for community groups to use. The renovations would include updating the HVAC and electrical systems, renovating and adding additional bathrooms, renovating the kitchen, adding more accessibility to the building, replacing doors and windows, and renovating the gymnasium. These projects will increase the mixed use of the building providing space for faith communities, support groups, sports leagues, performance space, and more.

As the neighborhood prepares for growth with new housing developments within walking distance to Grace Church, more open community and recreational space is needed. This project will improve the quality of life for the neighborhood with a total

investment of $2 million. To assist in paying for the renovations, Grace Church is seeking a Chicago Recovery Grant of $1.5 million dollars and funding support from individuals and organizations for the additional $500,000. This vision can only become a reality with the larger support of our communities.

Project Goals

  • Fully renovate the building at 3325 W Wrightwood.

  • Expand the public realm beyond the outdoor space and into the building by providing open and accessible indoor space for community use.

  • Limit environmental impact though a sustainable renovation. As a part of the Neighborhood Power Project, we aim to account for the environmental impact of this renovation while improving the environmental quality and comfort for the neighborhood.

  • Partner with faith communities and neighborhood organizations to fund this project and provide programs and activities to the community.

  • Create an innovative way for the space to be shared by the community and for decision making about the use of the space to be collaborative. We want to ensure that the building is managed in a cooperative way that reflects the racial and economic diversity of our neighborhood.

Photo Credit: Kale Reality

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS MAKE IT POSSIBLE!

Photo Credit: Kale Realty

IN 2019, Grace Church was approached by community leaders to consider how groups in the neighborhood might come together to support the renovation of the building. Logan Square Preservation (LSP) organized conversations with Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Unity Park Advisory Council and others to think innovatively about how the building might be preserved for community use. LSP was able to secure an anonymous donation of $250,000 so that exterior work on the building might begin while additional funds were raised. This generous donation has helped to prevent further serious damage to the building.

Another key partnership emerged during the pandemic with St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square, another LSEA congregation. St. Luke’s, who had sold its historic building and moved into a storefront in 2015, was seeking a larger space in which to worship. Grace Church of Logan Square invited St. Luke’s to move in and share space. St. Luke’s, in return, was able to provide important funding to repair the ADA accessible lift and begin the needed upgrades to the building's plumbing systems. This relationship is more than a typical space sharing agreement. We have come together with the desire to explore what co-ownership of the building might look like and we have established joint decision-making processes regarding the building. We share core values and a vision of a thriving community building where our two churches and other community partners can share expenses while serving our neighbors.

Alderman Ramirez-Rosa continues to support partnership between Grace Church, Unity Park Advisory Council, and the Chicago Park District that would result in a much needed indoor recreational space for this part of the neighborhood. The Chicago Park district has voiced their support of this and willingness to program the renovated space; providing summer camps and other recreational activities for the community. The Alderman is seeking the release of Open Space Impact Fee funds to go toward this project.

THE PLAN

In conversation with community partners, initial drawings have been developed for the building renovation. The $2 million renovation includes upgraded electrical throughout, new environmentally conscious HVAC, an accessible ramp to the basement, additional bathrooms on the lower level, a commercial kitchen, renovation of the gymnasium, new bathrooms/locker rooms on the gymnasium level, state of the art performance space, restoration of stained-glass windows, new landscaping and more.

These building renovations will expand the uses of the space and provide a new multi-use building for the community on the corner of Wrightwood and Kimball.

A TIMELINE OF GRACE’S COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND BUILDING DEVELOPMENT

  • In September of 2018, members of Grace Church voted to sell the church building. After years developing a vision to redevelop the building, the congregation faced the reality that there was not funding or community support for the project. Selling the building would allow the congregation to move into the future and continue to be a vital faith community.

  • In 2019, Grace leaders had deepened conversation with IPUMC about merging and began to consider where they would worship once the building sold. During these conversations it became apparent that the congregation was deeply rooted in and committed to the Logan Square neighborhood. The desire to stay in the neighborhood made a merger with another congregation outside of Logan Square unlikely.

  • In the fall of 2018 and into 2019, the Logan Square Ecumenical Association reengaged a conversation among several congregations about the possibility of establishing shared worship space in Logan Square. The vision was to have multiple congregations worshipping in multi-use space that would also be used for ministry to the community.

  • In April of 2019, Grace put the building on the market and was approached by LSP with a proposal. Logan Square Preservation met with the pastors with “An Opportunity for Community-Church Partnership.” LSP had initiated a conversation with LSNA, Somos Logan Square, the Dill Pickle Coop, and Unity Park. The desire was to develop a plan that “would keep the congregation of Grace in the historic building while preserving and expanding their historic role as a community-based institution.” This original plan included a

  • new 501(C)3 organization, Unity Park using the gym as a field house, the church continuing to worship in the building, making space for nonprofit offices, having community space available, and performance space. LSP offered to help raise money for major repairs and improvements to the church with an initial donation of $250,000.

  • In June of 2019 the conversation between LSNA and LSP partners was brought together. Different possibilities were explored about which groups would be interested in ownership or long-term space rental in Grace’s building.

  • From June 2019-January 2020 the following groups participated in regular conversation about partnerships and how the money might be raised for the full building renovation estimated to cost $1.5 million. Grace, St. Luke’s, LSP, Unity Park, Chicago Park district, Alderman Rosa, Kimball Ave UCC, Chicago Community Mennonite, the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, Church Properties Reimagined and leaders from the Northern Illinois Conference of the UMC. A financial model was sketched out and different ways of structuring the partnerships were explored.

  • November 2019-May 2021. Grace and LSP entered into an agreement to use the initial $250,000 donation to begin the needed exterior masonry work.

  • March 2020, conversations halted as COVID diverted our attention.

  • October 2020, Grace and St. Luke’s entered into a building sharing partnership with the intention to continue conversation with other partners. This partnership brought $100,000 to move forward prioritized renovations.

  • In 2021, renovations continued on the masonry inside of the gym. A new lift was installed, a new water supply brought into the building, and plaster work from past water damage was completed throughout the building.

  • Leaders at Grace are preparing to launch a capital campaign in 2022. And wer able to begin the restoration of the “Good Shepherd Window”.

  • So far in 2023 we have completed work on the buidling’s drains. Painted and put new flooring in the classrooms, upgraded to energy efficent lighting throughout the building.

  • Grace was awarded a Green Infrustructure Grant from the city of Chciago in May of 2023. These funds will upgrade the building’s electrical system and provide for a solar installation.

  • We continue to word with our community partners to raise the funds needed to complete this project. Conversations with Alderman Ramirez-Rosa, Unity Park Advisory Council and the Chicago Park District to direct OSIF funiding to renovation the gym and bathrooms are ongoing.  
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