Religious
Zion Baptist Church
Zion Baptist Church was one of three religious sites that received design services through the Sacred Places/Civic Spaces initiative—a partnership between the Community Design Collaborative and Partners for Sacred Places to re-envision underutilized, purpose-built religious properties as community hubs. Zion Baptist Church has a rich history and strong ties to the community. The site is comprised of two buildings—the 1970s contemporary building where the congregation worships and the 1920s “annex” which housed the church’s outreach programs until recently. The buildings are located directly across the street from each other and just one block from the intersection of Broad, Germantown and Erie, a key location along the North Broad Street commercial corridor. Zion and Called to Serve Community Development Corporation hope to reactivate the vacant annex as a part of the commercial corridor’s revitalization.
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Design strategies for the site include exploring two options for sanctuary reuse: a fresh food grocery or a banquet hall and community gathering space.
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The sanctuary could function as a food retail space, with other floors devoted to urgent care, STEAM education, and workforce training.
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Zion Baptist Church and its annex are located close to the Germantown, Erie, and Broad Commercial Corridor.
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Zion's leadership is dedicated to renovating the Annex for programs that serve the community and support economic development.
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Its Broad Street location opens up opportunities for the reuse of the Annex.
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The design team assessed building systems and historic features.
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The Annex has been closed for several years, but the building still has good bones.
