Zion Baptist Church Zion Annex Restoration Project
Zion Annex Restoration Project Broad Project Objectives Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes in vain. Psalm 127:1
Trustee Victor Young, Reverend Michael Major and committee have been working tirelessly to: • Re-establish the Zion Annex as a place that is a benefit to the immediate Nicetown-Tioga community and the city at-large. • Do it in a financially sustainable manner This publication reflects some of Zion’s rich history of programs that were in Zion’s Annex initiated under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Leon Sullivan. It also contains pictures of what the Annex could look like upon completion. The ongoing mission with Rev. Dr. Chauncey Harrison leading Zion is for Zion’s Annex is to be a beacon of hope and help in the community and globally with the professional assistance of Mosaic Development Partners (Development Consultant), Schultz, and Williams (Fundraising Consultant). The effort to restore the Zion Annex fits into a larger community revitalization effort. A partial list is found later in this publication under the heading of “Context.” History of the Zion Annex Zion purchased Trinity Reformed Church in 1969. The building was originally built in 1911. “My father was among the many men in the congregation who spent their Saturday mornings climbing scaffolding and painting to refurbish the interior of the Annex.” Deaconess Angie Hollis “I clearly remember when Reverend Sullivan announced that Zion was working to acquire the church building across the street. Rev. Sullivan had a vision at that time to use the space to enhance the community. It would be a year or two before the building could be fully occupied as it needed extensive work on the interior.” Calvin LaSmith Former member now living in Virginia
Highlights of past ministries/programs operated in the Zion Annex
Community Food Bank
Pyramid STEM Showcase Sponsored by DHEx Enterprises, LLC &Color Book Gallery
Boys Scouts of America
Girl Scouts
Zion Cares ministry offers a church service, a mid-afternoon meal and clothing items to Nicetown-Tioga community members in need.
Zion Cares ministry offers a
church service, a mid-afternoon meal and clothing items to Nicetown-Tioga community members in need
Leon H. Sullivan Jr. Golf Program
Narcotics Anonymous
Rockaway Revue
Computer Lab
Leon
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Update on Activities • 2018 the Zion Annex was one of three sites selected for the Sacred Places/Civic Spaces initiative funded by the William Penn Foundation. The initiative was a partnership between the Community Design Collaborative and Partners for Sacred Places to re-envision underutilized, purpose-built religious properties as community hubs. • Wharton-Wesley United Methodist Church (SW Philadelphia) and The Philadelphia Masjid (West Philadelphia) were the other sites chosen • Stakeholder Survey conducted (paper and online) “I Wish the Zion Annex was a …..” • Two community/stakeholder meetings were held – July 2018 & October 2018 • March 2019 Community Design Collaborative/Partners for Sacred Places issues the Sacred Places/Civic Spaces 120-page final report • July 2020 William Penn Foundation awards Zion Baptist Church a grant to be used to hire two (2) consultants – a development consultant to create a development plan and a fundraising consultant to conduct a capital campaign feasibility study. The development plan includes identifying mission-aligned tenants, renovation costs, and construction timeline. The feasibility study is to determine how much capital can realistically be raised over the next three-to-five years. The study shall also identify potential strategies and infrastructure needed for next steps. • February 2021 Through a competitive selection process Mosaic Development Partners chosen to create the development plan for the Zion Annex • April 2021 through a competitive selection process Schultz & Williams chosen to conduct a capital campaign feasibility study • May 2021 Stakeholder/Community meeting to confirm/update priorities identified through Sacred Places/Civic Spaces initiative in 2018 • Late summer/early fall 2021 Stakeholder/Community Meeting to review plans • Late fall/early winter 2021 Stakeholder/Community Meeting to present final proposed plans • The Development Plan and Feasibility Study are milestone deliverables for the William Penn Foundation Grant The following renderings represent conceptual drawings capturing the ideas and themes that emerged during the Sacred Places/Civic Spaces Initiative. The four (4) key ideas were: • Healthy Minds • Healthy Bodies • Healthy Souls • Healthy Communities
CONTEXT The Zion Annex is located one block south of the Broad, Germantown and Erie (BGE) commercial corridor hub. The Sacred Places/Civic Spaces project name ascribed to it was “Corridor Connections” because of its proximity to the intersection and the key part that it plays in the commercial corridor revitalization led by Called To Serve CDC and the Philadelphia Commerce Department. The SEPTA Broad and Erie subway station is the third busiest subway stop on the Broad Street line (with 7,000 people traversing on a daily basis) and the intersection is served by seven (7) SEPTA buses providing access to many parts of Philadelphia. The Broad Street, Germantown and Erie Avenue intersection is one of the targeted areas in the City of Philadelphia’s 2035 North District Plan. Several city-led initiatives are underway, which includes The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability’s (OTIS) VisionZero at the Broad, Germantown and Erie intersection. VisionZero is designed to reduce traffic related deaths. The Planning Commission is also convening a group of community stakeholders exploring the history of the Broad, Germantown and Erie intersection and the surrounding community. Active, planned or completed development projects in the area include: • Community Legal Services – constructed an $8 million 20,000 square foot green roof building that achieved LEED Gold Certification in 2013. • Beury Hotel and Residents at the Beury is the planned restoration of the circa 1926 Beury Building as a mixed-use development including 164 quality market-rate and affordable residences, shared community spaces, and 60,000 square feet of commercial space being developed by Shift Capital. • Be A GEM Crossing is a mixed-use affordable housing project on the site of the old Liberty Motel located four blocks south of the Zion Annex. The developer is North 10 Philadelphia, the nonprofit started by Chase Lenfest. • Located less than a mile south of the Annex is the North Philadelphia Transit Center project led by HFZ Capital Group. HFZ, Amtrak and their partners plan to renovate the North Philadelphia Amtrak station and convert the area in and around the station into a mixed-use residential and commercial space. Published estimates indicate this is a $162 million project. • The Department of Commerce and the Streets Department shared the $200,000 cost to convert existing streetlights to brighter LED bulbs and add to the existing number of lights throughout the neighborhood in December 2014. • The Department of Commerce’s Storefront Improvement Program and In-Store Forgivable Loan programs have been leveraged by several businesses to redesign their respective stores. • Formed in 2016, the Broad, Germantown and Erie Task Force is a joint effort between City departments and neighborhood organizations. Their goals are to: o Make the intersection safer for pedestrians o Create jobs and support businesses o Improve and create new public spaces o Honor local history and culture
TIMELINE Below is a representative timeline for the restoration and reactivation of the Zion Annex as a place to serve and impact the lives of the residents the Tioga/Nicetown community. Since its purchase in 1969 through closure in 2014 the Zion Annex has been a place of life-changing activity for countless current and former community residents.
Mosaic (Development Consultant)
June – December 2021 Create an actionable development plan that includes the following: a. Funding: The plan will identify funding/financing sources for the development and operation of the Annex. The development plan will formulate both the hard and soft costs for the proposed development along with an operating pro forma. b. Ownership and long-term lease strategies: Zion Baptist Church currently owns the Zion Annex. The plan will propose ownership structures that enable Zion to maintain ownership of the building. The plan will propose long-term leasing strategies ensuring the financial sustainability of the project upon completion. c. Mission-aligned tenants: The objective of the project is to have the Zion Annex recapture its place as a community space serving the residents of the Nicetown-Tioga community. This requires securing mission-aligned tenants to partner with Zion to achieve the purpose in a financially sustainable way. d. Development partners: To leverage the value of partnerships, potential development partners will be identified and types of partnership arrangements will be proposed in the plan.
Schultz and Williams (Fundraising Consultant)
June – November 2021 Conduct a capital campaign feasibility study to identify how much capital can realistically be raised over the next three-to-five years to support the development and operations of the Annex. The study will include the following key components: • Through interviews, gauge the receptiveness and openness of the broader community (local, regional and national) and other potential stakeholders to the message and plan in order to determine the feasibility of fundraising and the amount that can realistically be raised in what time frame. • Map out a campaign strategy and plan with information as to how to structure, implement, and promote a capital campaign that includes a case statement for support. • Coordinate with the development consultant regarding the financing strategies to ensure alignment. • Identify and assist with recruiting leaders for, and potential donors to, the campaign.
Restoration/Development of the Zion Annex January 2022 – December 2024 (Tentative)
Capital Campaign
January 2022 – December 2024 (Tentative)
WILLIAM PENN FOUNDATION The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region through efforts that increase educational opportunities for children from low-income families, ensure a sustainable environment, foster creativity that enhances civic life, and advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region. Since inception, the Foundation has made nearly 10,000 grants totaling over $1.6 billion.
MOSAIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS
Mosaic was established in 2008 with the intention to help revitalize neighborhoods and marginalized communities. Working through one of the most difficult economic recessions, its founders Leslie Smallwood–Lewis, and Gregory Reaves, remained persistent, faithful, and focused. Then and now, we focus on building new ideas, especially in locations where solutions aren’t obvious. We build with community and cultural sensitivity in mind. We hire professionals and others who have been historically excluded from this industry. We seek to bring solid returns to our investors and lenders. OUR APPROACH: No ego. No nonsense. No procrastination. Whether it’s an abandoned building or a vacant lot, we ask ourselves the important questions: ✓ Will our results leave the community in a better place than when we began? ✓ Will our ideas lead to greater sustainability? ✓ Do we have the right team to ensure that we can turn our ideas into reality? WHAT WE DO: Mosaic Development Partners identifies real estate projects that have the potential to bring positive change to a community. We seek sustainable developments, job creation, diversity and community acceptance. We partner with those who share our vision and add value. We take on the tough problems. Where others fail or give up, we find innovative solutions—subtle or radical—that help bring a project to fruition.
Schultz & Williams partners with outstanding, inspiring clients to make a difference in an everchanging world. For more than 30 years, our dedicated and talented team of consultants has empowered nonprofits to positively affect millions of lives through their work in areas like healthcare, education, the environment, international medical relief, animal welfare, social justice, and the future of our cultural institutions. Our deep bench of nonprofit and philanthropy experts has worked in our clients’ shoes at organizations just like those we serve. That means we take a uniquely informed and effective approach to address each client’s situation. The result is an actionable, tailor-made plan that will achieve your short- and long-term goals through results-driven strategic planning, staffing solutions, multi-channel marketing and more.