By HEATHER ROTH, Staff Writer
Published 09/13/09

Marian Hall at St. Mary's parish on Duke of Gloucester Street is integral to every part of the Catholic church's ministries. It houses the school cafeteria for every grade, serves as an auditorium and stage for school performances and family Masses, and is used as the parish hall for church events.

But it hadn't received more than "Band-Aid" updates for decades.

"The space did not meet the needs of the school and church anymore. The facilities were not measuring up," said Steve Linhard, the Annapolis parish's chief administrative manager.

During the 10 weeks between the end of the last school year and the start of this one, Hamel Builders worked long days and longer weeks to "completely gut" and renovate the old hall, Blades Hall just outside it, and the gymnasium and fitness center.

This was the end of a three-year, multimillion-dollar capital campaign the parish called "Renewing the Light Within Us."

"It's great to see what was talked about for so many years actually happen," Linhard said.

In Marian Hall, the renovations included removing the old drop ceiling to expose the original arched ceiling.
Acoustic panels on the supports and walls along with three hanging from the ceiling help absorb and direct noise, and a new lighting system for the new-and-improved stage replaces the temporary scaffolding that used to be erected for every performance.
Add in fresh blue and white paint, new synthetic-wood floors and a balcony-seating area that includes a sound booth (with new equipment), and the hall feels entirely new.

"I like the color blue," laughed the Rev. John G. Kingsbury, St. Mary's pastor. But the renovations have a more symbolic meaning, he said.
"It's a statement of the future. It shows we're investing," he said. "We are very committed to this ministry, that's what it says."

It's also a symbol of the unity he wants to see in his parish.
"We are so large that we can become fragmented," he said. "It's (a) unifying space ... everybody's on board."

So far the church has raised $7.2 million, about 75 percent of the total costs of the renovation.
Other work included Blades Hall, which runs between Marian Hall and the gymnasium. Renovations included custom-built trophy cabinets, wider doors leading out of the building and alcove lighting. An atrium was added at the end of the hall, and the original ticket booth, once built over, was re-installed.

"This has been totally transformed," said Christine Bervid, a St. Mary's graduate and the communications coordinator for the high school's Office of Parish Advancement.
Outside, the circular driveway in front of the building was replaced with two ADA-approved ramps; rain gardens will be planted later in the fall.

In the gymnasium, the changes include a new gym floor, fresh paint and an air-conditioning system, and the adjoining fitness room and physical education office have new windows so trainers and teachers can keep an eye on what's happening in the other rooms.
The work began in 2003, when a facilities committee looked at what needed to be done. Planning and the fundraising campaign began the next year.

The actually construction was done in three phases: changes to the electrical service, a new fire suppression system and improvements to the stage were completed in 2007, and the kitchen and serving area were renovated in 2008.

But the bulk of the work - and the most noticeable - was done this summer.
"The generosity of Hamel Builders by producing by far the lowest bid" made the project possible, Linhard said.
The work was finished by the time school started at the end of August.

"The subcontractors should be commended, too. They (worked) joyfully," Linhard added.

Around 2,500 parishioners donated to the campaign, including the Reichardt family, whose foundation provided the fitness room, now named after Kevin E. Reichardt, a St. Mary's alumnus. Reichardt died in a random shooting near the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in January 1995.

"It's not just parents of kids who go to this school (who donated). It's the parish," Bervid said.

St. Mary's will celebrate the renovations with a picnic from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. today in the historic Carroll Gardens. Twenty-minute tours of Marian Hall will run from 2 to 4 p.m. St. Mary's is located at 109 Duke of Gloucester St.

(Reprinted from The Capital)

By Matt Palmer
mpalmer@catholicreview.org

No matter how many times Father John Kingsbury walks into Marian Hall these days, he always finds himself marveling at the St Mary’s of Annapolis structure.

The Redemptorist priest and pastor is not alone.

As Father Kingsbury gave a tour of the renovated parish hall Sept. 10, a representative from the health department walked over to talk.

“This is amazing,” the man said.

Jaws are dropping lately when people see the finished hall, which was originally completed with the parish’s high school in 1947. The room has held many roles in the parish, including cafeteria for both the elementary and high schools, recital hall, gathering space and home for the parish’s family Mass.

“On budget, on time,” Father Kingsbury said. “That’s the reality. I’m almost in shock.”

The room was transformed into a first-class theater, eating and meeting space over the summer months.

“We had a small window to do all the work while the students were out for the summer,” said Don Jackson, the parish's facilities director. “We wanted to have things organized, and all the plans and permits finalized, so that the day the students walked out, the contractor could walk right in and get started without any delays.”

Gone are the yellow wall tiles and the low-hanging ceiling that defined Marian Hall. The ceiling has been raised thanks to arched, wooden trusses. Skylight, ceiling windows allow the sun to shine through, illuminating new blue paint on the walls.

At night, moonlight coming through those windows can make the room look like an aquarium.

A mezzanine balcony has been added to the back of the room and can fit about 60 people. A production area is located at the top of the balcony.

Other additions for the nearly $2 million project include: new wall panels have been added for acoustical cleanness, a drop-down wide projector screen, and programmable event light and sound system.

“There’s always $20 million of repairs that need to be done and you’re doing triage,” Father Kingsbury quipped of parish needs. “It took saying this absolutely needed help. It’s the major space of this operation. It has to function or we can’t function. It’s school-related and it’s parish-related.”

Only the front windows of the building remain, a concession made to the local historical society.

St. Mary’s 5,000-plus parishioners got their first opportunity to look at the renovation to Marian Hall Sept. 13 during an open house and picnic.

Robert L. Worden, St. Mary’s archivist, said Marian Hall is integral to parish life.

About 2,500 people donated to the parish’s Renewing the Light Within Us campaign, which started in 2004 and has raised $6.3 million for various renovations.

“We’re about 75 percent funded,” said Barb Kappel, the parish’s executive director of advancement.

The school expanded Marian Hall’s stage three years ago and later remodeled the kitchen.

Jackson oversaw the recent project and calls it “my baby.”

Built by Elkridge-based Hamel Builders, Marian Hall wasn’t the only part of the campus to get an overhaul.

The walkway that connects Marian Hall to the high school’s C. Mason Russell Gymnasium, Blades Hall, has seen the installation of glass trophy cases, a vaulted ceiling with cove lighting and other finishes to walls. The women’s bathroom in Blades Hall also received a few modern touches.

The gymnasium had air conditioning installed, as well as a new fire suppression system, flooring and paint. Also refurbished were the men’s and women’s locker rooms, which have new fixtures and finishes.

The adjoining Kevin E. Reichardt Fitness Center had fixtures installed and a dividing wall was removed.

Part of the school faces Duke of Gloucester Street, a road which sees thousands of cars a day. Prior to this fall, a driveway dipped in front of the school. Now, a handicap accessible ramp and walkway invite people to the campus.

“The changes this campaign has made to this parish are amazing,” said the school’s communications coordinator, Christine Bervid.

Parish and school officials are hoping the remodeling will aid in the recruitment and retention of students. Father Kingsbury estimated the early combined enrollment of the elementary and high schools to be at 1,400 students.

St. Mary’s high school principal, Richard Bayhan, said, “In a time when schools are concerned about their futures, we’re making a strong statement here what our future is by making all these changes.”

Sep 11, 2009

(reprinted from The Catholic Review)