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Home > About Us
> Our Building
A Vision for a New Facility
In September of 2007, Earthen Vessels Outreach (EVO) purchased a vacant
building on the corner of Pacific and Friendship Avenues in the Bloomfield
neighborhood of Pittsburgh. . Originally built for a United Presbyterian
congregation in 1895, the building changed hands and had fallen into disuse
and disrepair by 2003. From 2003-2007, the damaged building invited significant
illegal activity and residents. The goal of EVO is to renovate the structure
to be a single home for all of its community outreach programs and other
programs.
Why is this new facility important?
Earthen Vessels Outreach has worked in Garfield, Bloomfield, East Liberty,
and Lawrenceville for five years with a focus on youth and family development.
During this time period, EVO has been based at Evaline Lutheran Church,
a facility that is shared, and is not optimally suited to provide for
the present and future needs. All programs make maximum use of the available
space, but there is consistently demand for more. EVO could serve more
youth while offering higher quality programming in a space designed to
its needs.
Present Restoration
The work at Pacific Sanctuary began with clearing out the belongings
of squatters, securing the building, and repairing damaged plumbing. During
the spring and summer of 2008, a new roofing system has been installed
and the masonry has been repaired. Over the last 8 months many different
volunteers groups have removed walls contaminated with mold, and other
damaged pieces of the internal building.
Through private donors and corporate grants there has been approximately
$342,000 given since the purchase of the Pacific Sanctuary in August of
2007, 2836 hours of labor by 173 volunteers, and $100,000 worth of gifts-in-kind
materials. The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh has offered a match of
its original $175,000 once $500,000 is raised in support.
Project Details : Pacific Sanctuary
- Built: 1894-5 for Fourth United Presbyterian
- Architecture: Richardsonian Romanesque, Akron Layout
- Building: 16,000 sq ft in 2.5 stories on .36 acres
- Purchase: $68,000 from Greater Pittsburgh Temple in September 2007
- Renovation Phase 0: $250,000 for roof, masonry, windows and interior
cleanup. Currently 90% complete.
- Renovation Phase 1: $692,000 for basement, classrooms, kitchen, banquet
space, mechanical systems, access, and fire code. Fundraising stage.
- Renovation Phase 2-3: Approximately $900,000 for classrooms, multipurpose
space, offices, ceiling restoration. Planning stage.
- Project Architects: Conceptual plan by Brennenborg-Brown, construction
documents and administration by Milton Ogot.
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