Restoration and cleaning efforts have begun on city facilities in the core of Greenbelt. The work includes the repainting and re-glazing of the gymnasium windows at the Community Center, cleaning of the building’s bas reliefs and marble garden statue, and cleaning and repair of the Mother and Child statue at Roosevelt Center. All of this is to be funded by a Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) grant of $29,500.
The window work has already been started since it must be completed before the other projects can begin.
Following a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued in February and closed in April, staff received five responses concerning the restoration efforts. Staff are now reviewing these proposals and, depending on the availability of funds, the full extent of the statuary and relief work will be finalized.
In addition to painting and re-glazing the Community Center windows, the window panes will be replaced. Inspectors detected asbestos in the existing glazing, which had to be corrected. This work will require additional funding, which Public Works staff is now pursuing.
The entire project is a joint effort of City Planning and Public Works. The latter oversees the project and is in charge of selecting the contractor under the leadership of Public Works Assistant Director Brian Kim. Arts Supervisor Nicole DeWald aided the Planning Department in writing the grant proposal.
Director of Planning and Community Development Terri Hruby said, “The project has been scheduled for a long time. It’s a competitive grant process” adding that the city has received funding from MHAA for past projects.