Redevelopment Can Move Forward for Silver Spring Church

The First Baptist Church of Silver Spring can move forward with redevelopment plans for the church, located on 8415 Fenton St., after the historic preservation commission of Montgomery County Park and Planning voted against making it a historic designation, reported by the Gazzette.

With a 6 to 2 vote at March 23 hearing, the commission excluded the church from being a historic site which is welcome news for Pastor Duncan McIntosh. He started exploring his options for a developer 10 years ago because the church was becoming too costly to maintain.

“ I'm delighted. It's evident that the commission took the report submitted very seriously, ” said McIntosh. 

In 1956, a state of the art heating and cooling system with a 8,000 gallon water tank stored underneath the building was installed. A few years ago, the tank started leaking causing massive damage to the floors. McIntosh said every time it rains or snows they have water damage.

In an official statement Pastor McIntosh wrote the commission to also explain how, “ the building lacks spaces to accommodate the activities of a federation churches that want to do education and worship simultaneously....”

The mix use development by local architecture firm Torti Gallas and Partners plans to include an retail/apartment complex along with a space for the upgraded First Baptist Church of Silver Spring. The firm has developed similar mix use projects including The Village at Shirlington, The Ellington and Columbia Heights Revitalization in Washington, D.C.  

They expect to submit the initial designs by summer 2011.