The town of Signal Mountain hopes to be able to plan for the remediation and reopening of the Mountain Arts Community Center by its next work session April 1.
At the Town Council’s most recent work session Feb. 26, officials approved hiring local architectural firm Hefferlin + Kronenberg to do a full-scale physical assessment of the MACC. This report will describe the scope of the damage to the building, thus enabling the town to move forward with a comprehensive plan for rehabilitation.
The assessment will cost the town $25,000, which Town Manager Boyd Veal said will not create a budgetary concern for the town.
The council chose Hefferlin + Kronenberg from the pool of applicants based on the firm’s experience with historical restoration and how in-depth and expedient the proposal for assessment was. Council members also received a recommendation for Hefferlin + Kronenberg from Cornerstones, a nonprofit dedicated to architectural preservation in downtown Chattanooga.
Some local examples of Hefferlin + Kronenberg’s historical expertise includes the firm’s work on the Rail Depot in Cleveland, Tenn., which they modernized, and ongoing work on the Chattanooga Bank Building, which is being converted into a hotel while preserving the historical components such as the elevator system.
“One of our main focuses is historical preservation,” said Cliff McCormick, principal of Hefferlin + Kronenberg. “It’s not our only focus, of course, but we do seek it out.”
The MACC has been shut down since the Town Council deemed that the facility may be a health concern to visitors due to mold growth. Temporary remediation of the building was discovered to be impossible because of the aggressive growth of the mold, leaving MACC officials with the task of finding alternative space for all activities and meetings.
“This is not a short-term project that we’re undertaking,” said Mayor Dick Gee. “We’re frustrated by the fact that we don’t have any information to talk about. We need that information to move forward.”
He and the rest of the council said they are looking forward to reviewing the firm’s results in time for the next work session meeting, which will include further discussion on how exactly to remediate the MACC.
Email Shane Foley at sfoley@timesfreepress.com.