Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon plans history center renovation
The Mt. Lebanon Historical Society’s history center was built as a residence more than 80 years ago.
The Mt. Lebanon Historical Society’s history center was built as a residence more than 80 years ago.
The Mt. Lebanon Historical Society’s history center was built as a residence more than 80 years ago.
The renovation of the Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon’s headquarters is about to go out for bid.
Joel Cluskey, president of RSH Architects, and Dan Deiseroth of municipal engineer Gateway Engineers are working on specifications that should be available for potential contractors within the next week or two.
The historical society has been raising money toward improving its Spanish Colonial Revival-style building at 794 Washington Road, the former residence and medical office of Dr. Donald McMillan (1911-2002).
“We had a set of documents probably about six months ago that were about 98 percent complete,” Cluskey told Mt. Lebanon commissioners during their March 28 discussion session. “A contractor came in and did pricing for it. The pricing was higher than some of the budget numbers we had originally put to the project.”
Since then, the scope has been revised for cost considerations, such as dispensing with the need for a sprinkler system in the 80-plus-year-old building.
”We’ve been able to make some adjustments in different fire ratings, different components of the building, so that we do not need to sprinkle the building,” Cluskey, a member of Mt. Lebanon’s Historic Preservation Board, explained.
Jim Wojcik, historical society president, said the project is envisioned for multiple phases.
“This first phase that will be going out for bids is basically restoring the basic house structure and major systems,” he said, estimating the cost at about $580,000.
Improvements will include a new roof and climate-control system, window refurbishment and enhanced handicapped accessibility.
“That will allow the history center to move out of the basement and start using the space on the first floor for exhibits and on the second floor for collection storage,” Wojcik told commissioners.
The Lebanon Avenue-facing ground floor, which now serves as the society’s history center, is to be renovated in the project’s second phase.
The society has received a grant from the Pennsylvania Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund, administered through the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County, with a net of $180,000. Also awarded was a $50,000 Keystone Historic Preservation grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
A capital campaign is in progress to raise additional money. For more information, visit lebohistory.org/capital-campaign/campaign-overview.