- project leader
- JESSICA B
- location
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3500 Montgomery Rd(Evanston)
- latest update rss
- Won the first step toward Local Historic Landmark designation!
the project
The Mark Board is committed to acquiring St. Mark Church to be established as a community center to benefit the neighborhood and the region. We want to transform the St. Mark Church, built in 1905, into a cultural, artistic, and neighborhood hub making it a Center with tenant stakeholders that will attract and serve members and/or clientele throughout greater Cincinnati. The St. Mark Center will be a showcase for other communities in Cincinnati to transform historical buildings into settings that can address the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) by bringing businesses into the community that will support employment and income, provide areas for social gatherings especially important for senior citizens and youth, provide food pantries, and many other initiatives.
We know this transformation of the vacant St. Mark Church is something that supports Cincinnati. We are working to purchase St. Mark's so we can stop deterioration, stabilize it and begin the transformation.
Join us to Save The Mark.
the steps
- Secure purchase of The Mark
- Repair the terra cotta roof and other external damage
- Repair existing decay due to neglect
- Secure tenant stakeholders
why we're doing it
In evaluating the pros and cons of land use issues affecting our communities we are, in the highest sense, called upon to act as community stewards, entrusted with the thoughtful and responsible management of our community’s unique assets and resources while minimizing threats and taking advantage of opportunities.
From a population health perspective, a neighborhood hub will provide opportunities to address the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) which have become a national focus during this COVID-19 pandemic crisis. It will demonstrate how Cincinnati is able to use historic buildings to be meaningful places in urban neighborhoods that support economic opportunity, businesses for employment, social gatherings and safety. We have learned how the SDoH, such as education, employment, income, physical activity, community safety, food security, and access to care, are critical to improving average life expectancy and overall health of a community.
budget
*DISBURSED BUDGET*
Appraisal for local historic landmark designation - $3,033.19
| TOTAL RAISED = | $3,127.00 |
| ioby Fiscal Sponsorship Fee (5%) | N/A |
| ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) | $93.81 |
| TOTAL TO DISBURSE= | $3,033.19 |
This will be phase one of the project with a goal to purchase the historic St. Mark building in Evanston. Once we are able to purchase The Mark, we will need to hit the ground running to preserve the integrity of the building. Repairing the terracotta roof, and other exterior improvements to halt any new decay as well as needed abatement will all be needed to keep The Mark strong. These repairs are only the first steps toward fullfilling our vision for The Mark to serve the Evanston community and the Cincinnati region as a cultural hub.
Construction Staffing: $25,000
Abatement: $19,000
Clean Up: $30,000
Exterior Improvement: $10,000
Roof Repairs: $20,000
| PROJECT FUNDING NEEDED = | $104,000 |
| ioby Platform Fee | $35 |
| ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) (Donation processing fee does not apply to match funding.) |
$3,218 |
| TOTAL TO RAISE = | $107,253 |
| Donation processing fees apply to donations only. 100% of match funding goes to projects. Please note, fees are estimated here and final numbers may change based on the final amount raised and amount of match funding applied to this campaign. |
updates
Won the first step toward Local Historic Landmark designation!
Posted 10/12/2021 - 11:31am
The Evanston community had a big win today! The Historic Conservation Board voted in favor of giving St Mark Church a Local Historic Landmark designation! It’s the first step of many. Next the motion goes in front of Cincinnati Planning Commission for review. Special thanks to @cincinnatipreservation for your support on this journey!
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Posted 09/23/2021 - 4:05pm
St. Mark's is in danger of being demolished and we are working to get it listed as a Local Landmark to protect the building. We need your support!
Please send letters of support to protect the building by listing it as a Local Landmark to beth.johnson@cincinnati-oh.gov by October 4th at 4 pm.
The Local Landmark application will go before the Cincinnati Historic Conservation Board on October 11th - the more letters of support we have the better our chances of moving this forward and saving this building.
The Cincinnati Enquirer covering The Mark!
Posted 03/22/2021 - 1:59pm
Evanston Community Council starts fundraiser to purchase, renovate historic St. Mark Church:
Text:
The Evanston Community Council and Save the Mark, a local nonprofit, are looking for donors to raise the money needed to purchase the historic St. Mark Catholic Church and renovate it into a community center.
After acquiring the church building at 3500 Montgomery Road, $104,000 is needed to cover the costs of construction staffing, abatement, clean up, exterior improvements and roof repairs, according to Save the Mark's crowdfunding webpage.
"It is essential to purchase St. Mark soon in order to stop deterioration, stabilize the building and begin the transformation," the nonprofit said in a release. "We believe that by preserving the integrity of our collective past, we set a foundation for generations of growth."
The goal of the project is to create St. Mark Center, which is intended to be used as a "cultural, artistic and neighborhood hub," the release states.
Some of those possible uses include providing space for social gatherings and food pantries. The nonprofit also hopes the community center will bring more businesses to the area.
The design for St. Mark Catholic Church was inspired by two Catholic churches in Italy and the building first opened in 1916, according to the Cincinnati Preservation Association.
A predominantly Black parish – it held its last mass on July 25, 2010 in order to accommodate a merger by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, the building's current owner, according to Enquirer archives.
St. Mark was one of four African-American parishes to be combined into the Church of the Resurrection in Bond Hill. The merger was meant to allow the parishes to pool their limited membership and resources.
The fundraising deadline is May 31 and so far only $500 has been donated toward the project.
Work To Preserve Black History Through Architecture
Posted 03/03/2021 - 3:08pm
Greater Cincinnatians Work To Preserve Black History Through Architecture, Cincinnati prides itself on its historic architecture. While some local landmarks vital to the region's Black history and communities are seeing preservation, many others sit empty, their fates uncertain. And more still have recently been leveled.
Listen to the WVXU interview here
We're live!
Posted 02/25/2021 - 8:10pm
The call to action now is to bring together the voices and investors who can help us preserve this building so it can be transformed into a space that will serve our best community interests and ambitions well into the future. Help to save The Mark by making your mark. Show your support and spread this message of opportunity to others who are looking to preserve a vital piece of the heart and soul of our Cincinnati community.
photos
This is where photos will go once we build flickr integrationdonors
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McCarthy Family
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Shari S.
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Carl Kinney
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Leslie Mattie Rich
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CONSTANCE BOCKELMAN
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Anonymous
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Brady J.
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William P.
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Catherine J.
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Bill & Lynda Leugers
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Nigel Sullivan
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JC
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In the memory of Curtis and Margaret Marie Stewart
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Josephine M.
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Susan and Bill Schmidt
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Bill & Jane M.
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The Immells
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in honor of Ginnie and Agnes Niemer (Colleen Foster)
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Grant M.
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Justin W.
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Michael F.
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Eleonora Fusco
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Anonymous
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Lawrence Pauly
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Jessie B.
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David R.
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Gregory Stewart
