A crowd of over 50 enthusiastic East End residents and supporters attended the first ELDI Space Walk and Talk Tour of Saints Peter and Paul Church on April 4th facilitated by ULEAD, a partner in planning reuse of the building through community engagement.
Many of those in attendance had been curious about the space for some time and feared it would be demolished. They were happy to be a part of the initial stages of its redevelopment. Individuals, entire families, neighborhood nonprofit leaders and students passing by, who joined the tour and learned some of the church’s history, were awed by the spatial proportions of the church at 130 Larimer Avenue.
Following the tour, refreshments were served at the Kingsley Association, hosted by the Larimer Consensus Group (LCG). LCG then held a second information session on Saints Peter and Paul which included 2020 census news from the City of Pittsburgh, info on the upcoming Zone 5 community day, and info on the Liberty Green Park being developed on an area of land near the church. Participants took surveys to share their views on the reuse of the building and were given latitude for a variety of responses. These responses will be revealed at a future ELDI event.
“This isn’t the end – this is the beginning,” said Kendall Pelling at the Kingsley Center info session. “We’ll be hosting events over the next few months and getting as many opinions as possible to make this project the best it can be.”
The next Space Walk and Talk tour of Saints Peter and Paul Church will be held on Tuesday, April 16th at 5 pm, with refreshments to follow at the Cornerstone Village leasing office at 185 Larimer Avenue directly across the street.
Photos courtesy of Cirrincione/GARFIELDLandTrust