Residents and city officials were given tours of the long-awaited multipurpose, community meeting hall at the Laurel Police Department, which was officially opened in a dedication ceremony Sept. 10.
The 5,000-square-foot meeting hall, named the Partnership Activity Center, was the former sanctuary for First Baptist Church, which moved to a new location, and sold the building and property at 811 Fifth St. to the city for the new police station.
When the Police Department moved into its new Fifth Street headquarters in April, the entire building had been renovated except for the sanctuary, which wasn't renovated due to budget constraints.
But with $400,000 the city received from the U.S. Department of Energy, $100,000 in bond money approved by the Maryland General Assembly last year for the project and other funding sources, city officials were able to fully renovate the sanctuary from top to bottom.
"We took the floors out, and in the lobby area, we have ceramic tile flooring and carpet in the main area, with a partial parquet floor that can be used for dancing," said Police Chief Richard McLaughlin, who oversaw much of the building's renovation. "We redid the electrical wiring, heat and air conditioning systems. We took out all of the windows and installed energy-efficient windows. Everything is new."
The former sanctuary's face lift also includes an interior paint job, as well as the addition of ceiling fans, new lighting, new bathrooms and a full-fledged commercial kitchen.
The room's stage was removed and replaced by a slightly smaller, lower-level stage to make it more accessible to the handicapped.
Other accessibility features include a ramp on the outside of the building that leads to an elevator that can be used to get to the multipurpose room. A chair lift was also installed for wheelchair-bound visitors or those who have problems navigating stairs. Prior to the renovations, the bathrooms were on an upper level, but because those floors are blocked off for security reasons, the bathrooms were placed on the same level as the former sanctuary, making them more convenient to access.
"It's designed so people don't have to use stairs to have full access of the room," McLaughlin said.
According to McLaughlin, the multipurpose room can accommodate 152 chairs or tables, or 225 stand-alone chairs. It is anticipated that city officials and residents will use the Partnership Activity Center for meetings and training sessions or rent the large room for banquets, dances and other types of events — all purposes which McLaughlin said the name reflects.
"We interact with lots of organizations in the community on a regular basis, and we see them as partners who will use the room a lot. That is the intent of the room — for it to be used by the community.
McLaughlin said a youth group and a cheerleading squad were already using the space.
In addition, City Spokesman James Collins said that considering the size of the community room and its full kitchen, the hall could possibly be used as a Red Cross shelter in an evacuation situation; or as a cooling or heating center, when temperatures warrant it or there are power outages.