$10m Renovation Set for St. Cecilia's
by Jim Cronin
Courant News Writer
The Saint Cecilia church may undergo a $10 million renovation next year that church representatives said is necessary to increase capacity for a growing congregation.
Funding for the project comes from the sale last year of an 11,000-square-foot parcel of land adjacent to the church.
If the Boston Landmarks Commission approves the demolition of the church rectory at 20 Belvidere Street, construction should start in January and be finished in October.
The main church building, erected in 1888, needs major improvements to expand its capacity by adding religious education and office space, updating the ventilation system, and reconfiguring the altar and seating in the main sanctuary, said Bob Walsh, chair of the church's renovation committee.
In the rear of the sanctuary would be space for a glassed-off nave where people could gather and parents could go with children during services, "sort of like a crying room," according to Walsh.
A new glass entryway would be built on the site of the rectory, making the primary entrance to the church handicapped accessible, and behind it will be a garden and an entrance to the lower church. The stairs that now lead straight up to the church will be reconfigured to hug the front of the building. An elevator will be installed in the existing tower on the right side of the church and accessed through the new entryway.
"Frankly, I could live without one more construction projectin the neighborhood," said Karla Rideout, a Massachusetts Avenue resident and member of the Boston Redevelopment Authority task force. that is monitoring Berklee College of Music's campus expansion proposal.
"The glass entryway doesn't seem to be in keeping," with the historic look of the main church building, Rideout added.
However, Jeffrey Brown, a project architect with Donham and Sweeney Architects, the firm planning the rehab project, said the church is looking for an entry to the building that allows people to view and access the new front door to the building.
"The idea is that one can easily see this new, welcoming entry place," Brown said.
"The new piece is setting itself apart ... and not trying to just mimic the existing construction."
The rectory would be completely rebuilt because it is uninhabitable due to water and structural damage, which has forced the parish priests to live off-site for three years.
The rectory was built in 1917. but is not historically or architecturally significant, Walsh said. Its bathroom facilities and staircases are inadequate, and if it were retained and renovated instead of demolished, only half of the building could be used since the rest is so dilapidated that it is beyond repair, he added.
If the rectory were kept for use, the church would need to rent out space in the building to make up for renovation costs at prices far higher than the surrounding area, Walsh said.
The Boston Landmarks Commission will hold a public hearing regarding the demolition on Tuesday. November 24 at 5:30 pm in room 805 at City Hall. The public can attend to express their views on the proposal.