Two Augusta developers will move ahead with renovation plans to turn the dilapidated Baden Hall building at Baden Square into a 22-unit, five-floor building featuring a penthouse.
Architect Bill Morris of William Morris Associates and Mark McCollom of McCollom Construction toured the last of the defunct St. John’s College buildings Monday night.
City commissioners, city manager Warren Porter and a handful of interested individuals accompanied them.
Later, at their evening meeting, city commissioners gave the pair their blessing to move forward with the first phase of the project.
They have started “discovery as to whether it’s a worthwhile project,” said city clerk Diane Rosecrans today.
Before starting the tour architects spoke about the project and answered questions. The group stood on the first floor of the building, side-stepping piles of fallen ceiling tiles and broken glass. Ceiling gaps loomed overhead and graffiti-laden walls surrounded them.
The development duo, who have together renovated such famed Kansas buildings as the Booth Theater in Independence, the Butler County Courthouse and the Carrie Nation House in Medicine Lodge, say the project could take as little as six to eight months. However, the developers have their work cut out for them.
“It’s really rough,” said McCollom as he pointed to dozens of broken windows and the dingy stone exterior. “It needs everything.”
Among their plans are installation of an elevator, two additional floors which were never finished and two interior emergency stair cases. A 33-space parking lot is slated for the south lawn, which is currently covered with several sidewalks. Developers estimate the the job will cost $1 million.
The pair have many ideas for the space. About 20 percent of the rooms would be handicap accessible and a ramp will be constructed outside, similar to ones found on other Baden Square buildings.
A basement area could serve as storage for tenants, Morris said. Commissioner Phil Jarvis said he hoped the bricked-up windows would be addressed since they “detract” from the appearance of the building. Morris said replacing stone was not practical, but special glass could replace the brick.
The pair said they “do a lot of research” on their buildings and are “excited about the possibilities of how this could evolve.”
“We’ll try to keep it looking as original as we can,” Porter told the group.
The city set aside $25,000 to cover architects fees, Porter said. The Baden Hall Preservation Committee raised and is contributing $220,000 to see the building restored. The rest of the renovation costs will be absorbed by the developers.
Commissioner Mike Ledy said he was uncertain whether the city would retain ownership of the building.
Developers won’t pursue adding the building to the state’s historic register.
