La Plata moves toward phased reopening of firehouse as town museum

La PlataHistoric Preservation Commission members on a recent meeting discussed a feasibility study and a phased plan to restore the townfirehouse and reopen it as the "La Plata Town Museum," possibly with a limited "soft opening" later this year.

The feasibility study, prepared by Lisa Holmes through her company (listed in the report as Aldi Homes Architect Corporation), identified mold and other environmental issues in the single-story section, multiple ADA-access challenges and a range of construction and design options. Commission volunteer Ron Rosenthal, who is leading renovation planning, summarized the townconsultantfindings and urged a phased approach: a limited cleanup and reopening of the two-story portion first, followed by more extensive work on the one-story/community-room side.

Why it matters: the firehouse sits on town-owned property but currently operates under a use and occupancy arrangement tied to the Southern Maryland Firemen's Association; the building houses community artifacts, a garden area used by local groups, and limited on-site parking. The project affects public access, ADA compliance and town budgets, and will require coordination among the commission, town staff, the volunteer fire association and private property owners near the site.

Most important facts

- Feasibility study: The commission reported preliminary cost lines in the consultantmaterials. The study listed about $55,000 of items tied to the one-story "community room" options and roughly $43,000 of items for the two-story museum portion; commissioners described those figures as preliminary and said many line items could be reduced when the commission chooses specific options.

- Phased plan and soft opening: Rosenthal and others recommended a two-phase strategy: (1) a quick, limited "soft opening" focused on the two-story side using existing use permissions and volunteer labor for cleaning, painting and minimal display work; (2) a longer-term, fully…