Permitting Update: TRICA has received all municipal permitting, including a Conditional Use Permit, to renovate our building into a children's arts educational center!

Approval was granted from,

Historic Preservation Commission which issued a Certificate of Appropriateness

ACHD Commission

Planning and Zoning Commission

City Council

Phase I Complete: Structural stabilization of the building has been accomplished with roof and wall steel supports installed. Remediation of methamphetamine residue has been successfully completed, and the interior apartment structures have been removed. The building has been opened to its original soaring space. Further renovation to install children's arts studios will await the completion of TRICA's capital campaign.

History:

In 2008, TrICA purchased the Emmanuel Methodist Episcopal Church at the corner of Eastman and 14th Street in Hyde Park. The Church is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks and was designed and built in 1907 by Tourtellotte and Hummel. It has been designated one of the ten most endangered historic buildings in Idaho. Our vision is to transform this lovely old building into a magical environment for children’s imaginations.

Being able to place our children’s art curriculum into a building of this stature, history and presence is an honor. The old church is like a castle and not only is it an icon in the North End neighborhood, it is also a part of the identity and experience TrICA envisions for its students. A child’s inner space is often defined by environment and so TrICA will establish a space that is palpable to a child’s sense of adventure. From a youngster’s point of view, TrICA will be a whimsical building, inside of which a realm of intriguing experiences will lay. By dedicating it to them, we are making a clear statement of the value and esteem we hold for children in our community and our lives. Once it is restored, this building’s inherent design will seed inspiration, creativity and enchantment.

In July 2009 we began Phase I of the Church’s renovation. This includes wall and roof stabilization, the removal of "new" apartment construction, and a thorough cleaning of the building’s contaminated interior. This work is accomplished with funding through SAGE Community Resources in partnership with the U.S. Department of Environmental Quality. The completion of Phase I will leave us with a clean, stable building ready to be designed in Phase II for music, art, and dance studios, a teaching kitchen, art gallery and performance space.

On July 27th the Historic Preservation Commission approved a Certificate of Appropriateness to allow, under historic guidelines, the necessary exterior changes to the church and the house next door at 1509 N. 14th Street - renovations planned for Phase II. We hope the house will become a Storybook Cottage to hold TrICA's library of top children's literature.

In November of 2009 City Council approved a Conditional Use Permit, allowing change of use from a multi-family residence to a "private school" - the Treasure Valley Institute for Children's Arts.