Sandy Springs City Council approved contracts for $581,644 that will pay to demolish the stone buildings at Abernathy Arts Center property and replace them with a modular art studio enabling the return of pottery classes.
The council approved paying Atelier 7 Architects just under $290,000 to install the temporary, modular building in the same area as the existing stone house during its meeting on Dec. 5. The firm will incorporate the existing kiln on the site at 254 Johnson Ferry Road with its building that will contain another kiln.
Art Sandy Springs, which has been contracted by the city to operate art classes at Abernathy Arts Center, projects an additional 325 new students and 70 new summer campers as a result of the return of pottery classes. Classes will be offered mornings, after school, and evenings Tuesday through Friday, Dave Wells, director of Facilities/Capital Construction and Building Operations, said during the meeting.
The city had hired Menefee Architecture to assess the Stone Arts Building and Stone Garage, Wells said. The firm found structural issues with the building foundation, walls, joists and beams, settlement cracks, and outdated electrical, plumbing, and mechanical components. It also has traces of asbestos and lead paint. Neither building was compliant with Americans with Disabilities Standards for Accessible Design (ADA) regulations.
The city council budgeted $1 million in January 2022 for the Abernathy Arts Center Improvements Project, and $933,326 remains in the budget.
Tony Pope, co-founder of Atelier 7 Architects, said the 1,200-square-foot modular structure is made of four units and can be placed on the site for temporary use. It can then be relocated and given another use. The structure has a 50-year lifespan, he said.
City Manager Eden Freeman said staff anticipates that the temporary modular art studio building would be in use for about five years, giving staff time to conduct the master site plan process, get feedback from the public, and have conversations with the city council on how to fund it. She said they expect it would take several years to get that funding.
Wells said another nearby project on the Abernathy Arts Center property will be Burnett Park, a beautification project to create a pocket park just southeast of Burnett Drive. The Public Works Department will start work in late winter or early spring on creating that small, separate outdoor public space.
