Everyone on Signal Mountain should know the MACC, the Mountain Arts Community Center, where residents go to watch plays, listen to concerts, learn to act, dance, paint, knit, play musical instruments, make pottery, take cooking classes, exercise, hold meetings and celebrate special events. If you haven’t been to the MACC, then you have missed one of the community’s gems, recognized by a variety of national surveys as one of the things that makes Signal Mountain a great place to live.
Given its importance to the community, it is amazing that so few people know that the future of the MACC is currently up for debate in the Signal Mountain Town Council. Hanging in the balance are both the future of the MACC’s amazing programs and the future of its home, the 90-year-old Signal Mountain Elementary School.
In October of 2015, during a repair of the wooden flooring in the auditorium, mold was discovered that forced the shutdown of the building until the extent of the problem could be determined. After testing, measures were taken to remediate the mold problems and make the building safe for public occupancy. With the exception of the auditorium, which was sealed off, the building was reopened for classes in June.
Built in 1926, the Signal Mountain Elementary School is the oldest public building in the town of Signal Mountain and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It became home to the MACC in 1999 and was ultimately acquired by the town in 2009. Despite its years of service to this community, the building has had many problems that were allowed to fester. Shortly after the town acquired the building, an infestation of raccoons and opossum necessitated a shutdown, a new roof, extensive ceiling repair, and improved attic insulation.
Despite building issues, MACC has flourished and grown in service to the community. In fiscal year 2015 MACC had more than 35 instructors, with over 1,000 registrations for classes that generated over $60,000 in revenue. However, the recent shutdown and continued closure of the auditorium has brought MACC to a tipping point.
Although many classes continue, the closure of the auditorium makes it impossible to provide space for acting classes, puppetry classes, performances and recital space, all of which contribute substantially to MACC’s revenue stream. Recognizing that MACC cannot successfully move forward with the building in its current condition, the Town Council agreed that a full Needs Assessment should be done on the building. The assessment was to address all safety and building code issues, as well as address ways in which the building might be reconfigured to better serve the activities that occur there. A team of experts was gathered that included the Kronenberg architectural firm, the March Adams mechanical engineering firm, and Dave Hammel as the budget and contracting consultant. With input from the MACC Board, and in conjunction with Mayor Gee, Town Manager Veal, MACC Director Storm, and Fire Chief Mitchell, the team worked to come up with a possible plan, and an estimated price, for restoration and renovation of the MACC.
The team developed a plan that addressed the entire building which contains 21,673 square feet. However, cost calculations were made by dividing the building into sections. The original building (constructed in 1926) was labeled Section A (8,880 square feet). Additions from the 1940’s and 1950’s were labeled Section B (10,341 square feet), and the Kitchen/Cafeteria was labeled Section C (2,452 square feet). The plan further divided the work into three phases.
Phase one of the plan would basically restore MACC to its pre-mold condition but with important building and safety code upgrades. Phase one work would address all structural problems throughout the entire building. The standing water and mold problems would be eliminated and the auditorium would be restored. Site work to reroute drainage and add needed additional parking would be performed. As part of the mold remediation and prevention, a comprehensive heating and air conditioning system would be installed. All electrical, and plumbing systems would be upgraded. In conjunction with installation of a fire sprinkler system, all ceilings and lighting would be upgraded. The old portables would be demolished and the entire building would become handicapped accessible in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. The total cost for this project would be $2.7 million ($1.2 million for Section A and $1.5 million for Sections B and C).
Phase two of the plan proposes to reconfigure the building interior to make the space more usable for teaching arts classes, holding special events, accommodating community gatherings, and presenting exhibitions and performances. The plan also includes a museum area to house historical artifacts relating to the Signal Mountain community. Architectural drawings for these renovations are available for viewing at MACC. The cost of this phase would be $1.95 million.
The plan’s phase three would involve remodeling the auditorium to create a state of the art performance space and making significant improvements to the grounds and building exterior. The price for phase three would be $1.2 million.
After seeing the three phase plan, the Town Council began to explore other options for both the MACC building and the MACC programs. The idea being that the Council and the community should have as much relevant information as possible before making a decision on MACC’s future.
It is important to recognize that no decisions have been made on how to deal with MACC’s issues. However, the following possibilities are currently being explored:
1. One possibility relates specifically to the MACC building. This involves restoring the original building and demolishing the additions, which include everything referred to as Sections B and C in the three phase plan. The cost for restoration of the original building (8,880 square feet) is estimated at $1.2 million. The Council has authorized the town manager to obtain an estimate on the price of demolishing the remainder of the building (12,793 square feet). However, there is currently no specific plan for how the original building would be used if restored, or for how the property around it might be used.
2. Another possibility involves building a new structure to house MACC programs. To that end, the Council has requested that architects develop a design for a 12,000 square foot building to house all the activities of MACC. The building is to be designed as a free-standing structure but there is no plan for where it might be located. Building on the current MACC property is an option, as is connecting the new building to the original 8,000 square foot building, if it is restored. It should be noted however, that the current MACC facility encompasses 21,671 square feet. If the new structure being considered is not connected with the original MACC building, MACC will be short roughly 8,000 square feet of its current usable space.
3. A final possibility under consideration is to move the current MACC activities to the Town Hall and build a new Town Hall. To this end, the town manager has been authorized to have architects draw preliminary plans to fit the 21,671 square feet of MACC activities into the 7,600 square foot Town Hall. Meanwhile basic plans are also being drawn for a new Town Hall, the location of which has not been considered at this point.
In connection with discussion about the MACC and its future, discussion about the need for ball fields has been added to the mix. There appears to be a need for additional athletic spaces and the town seems to be trying to address these issues as well as the issues involving the MACC.
The purpose of this article is to make the public aware of the Town Council’s ongoing discussions about the future of MACC. The outcome of these discussions will not just impact the future of an historic building. The outcome will also impact the classes, programming and performances that are the MACC and that give MACC’s historic building a vibrant role to play in our modern community. I encourage you to go by the MACC. Take a look at the building and the activities that go on there. Ask to see the proposed floor plan for renovations. Go to the website www.signalmacc.org or check out MACC on Facebook. MACC belongs to everyone in the Signal Mountain community. It is a gem and it is yours. Please help take care of it.
Sandy McCrea
Signal Mountain resident and MACC supporter