Lincoln architects need to flip former church into places of work, residences

Southminster Church, a limestone constructing with a tall copper spire that’s been a fixture within the Indian Village neighborhood close to sixteenth and Otoe streets for the reason that late Forties, has a brand new calling.

A small structure agency plans to purchase the constructing and convert it to workplace area and 4 market-rate residences — a plan supported by the church, which has moved to a brand new location, and the neighborhood affiliation.

Dan Siedhoff, who owns Cadre Structure and Design with John Badami, stated they’d been on the lookout for workplace area once they realized the church in Siedhoff’s neighborhood was on the market.

“We’ve been on the lookout for an workplace area for a 12 months or so, and we got here throughout this attention-grabbing property,” Siedhoff stated. “We felt as architects, we might do an actual service to the group and the church itself.”

Two years in the past, Southminster United Methodist Church merged with St. James United Methodist and Calvary United Methodist, relocated to the Calvary United Methodist Church at 1610 S. eleventh St. and renamed themselves New Visions United Methodist Church, stated church board chairman Beth Baldwin.

A Baptist church purchased the St. James constructing and church leaders have been on the lookout for purchaser for Southminster, which is nestled into the well-established neighborhood close to sixteenth and Otoe streets.

A number of potential consumers expressed curiosity, Baldwin stated, together with somebody who wished to show the constructing right into a fitness center and one other who wished to tear it down and have the land rezoned for residences.

None of these appeared proper.

The plans of Seidhoff and Badami do, she stated.

In a letter of help for a landmark designation for the constructing, Baldwin stated it’s a “inventive and attention-grabbing” reuse of the property.

“Since 1948, Southminster UMC has performed a big function within the metropolis of Lincoln’s historical past and is worthy of this particular designation for its historic, architectural and creative worth,” she wrote.

Baldwin famous that the household of the late Gil Savery, a longtime editor of the Lincoln Journal who was lively within the church and instrumental within the planning of the constructing within the Forties, helps the reuse plan.

Earlier this month, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Fee beneficial approval of zoning adjustments and making the property a historic landmark, and it accredited a particular allow that might permit the structure agency to transform the constructing to the 4 residences and workplace area.

Present zoning would permit it for use solely as a church, single residence or duplex.

The Metropolis Council is scheduled to carry a public listening to on the zoning adjustments Jan. 29.

The constructing is architecturally vital for instance of the late Gothic Revival-style, based on planning paperwork. The L-shaped church was constructed with Silverdale limestone, used on a number of church buildings constructed across the identical time and sits on a big grassy garden. The primary ground is the sanctuary, the second ground is separated into Sunday college rooms and the basement is basically open with a kitchen. There’s additionally an unfinished attic.

It was constructed by native architect Fritz Craig, who additionally constructed St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church at twenty fourth and Sewell streets. Cadre Structure and Design is renovating that church, Seidhoff stated.

Another excuse for the landmark designation, based on planning paperwork: Southminster is the most effective remaining instance of two congregations — Caldwell Memorial and Calvary Chapel, which merged to turn out to be Southminster.

The merger was a part of a nationwide merger of the United Brethren Church and the Evangelical Church in 1945. The brand new denomination was to be often known as Evangelical United Brethren Church. In 1968, the Evangelical United Brethren Church convention merged with the Methodist Church to turn out to be the United Methodist Church.

If the Metropolis Council approves the zoning adjustments, the two,400-square-foot sanctuary would turn out to be the places of work of the structure agency, which might restore and refinish the church’s foremost entrance doorways. The architects additionally plan to interchange the stained glass in the principle sanctuary with clear glass for extra pure mild.

The south finish of the constructing would turn out to be the 4 residences, one on the second ground, one on the primary ground and two on the backyard degree. The architects plan to interchange a west door — not authentic to the church — with one which matches the unique 1949 plan.

The church does not have off-street parking, and the architects are asking for a waiver of the parking necessities.

Ann Finkner, who lives throughout the road from the church, stated in a letter to the planners and the Historic Preservation Fee that she and her husband help the reuse plan however have issues in regards to the lack of off-street parking now that there can be tenants and requested that the brand new homeowners contemplate parking alternate options.

The Indian Village Neighborhood Affiliation famous the significance the church has performed of their a part of city in a letter of help for the landmark designation.

“As a church, the property performed a pivotal function within the social cloth of our neighborhood, serving as a spot of worship, group gatherings and a middle for numerous neighborhood actions for a few years.”