Factory adds ADA compliant bathrooms

Adam Nagle, executive director of The Factory Ministries, 3293 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise, likes to tell a story about his first tour of the former Paradise Elementary School building where the ministry is housed. "I thought the bathrooms were awful," recalled Nagle. To his amazement, a female friend who toured at the same time came out of the women's room and said, "Adam, these bathrooms are awesome." Nagle responded, "You've got to be kidding me." Nagle quickly learned that the bathrooms differed somewhat and that his friend was admiring the soap stone stall walls, tile, and other features that harkened back to the building's construction in 1927.

Unfortunately, the bathrooms needed to be updated in several ways. "Currently, not one bathroom in this building is ADA compliant," said Nagle. To change that, The Factory obtained a Community Development Block Grant funded by HUD with the goal of updating the bathrooms while, as Nagle says, "maintaining the integrity of the things (many women) have commented on."

Currently, Beechdale Builders employees and subcontractors are at work on the multi-stall bathrooms located between the gymnatorium and the large pillars that frame the front door. "What we have chosen to do is overhaul them leaving the soap stone there, and we will build stand-alone ADA units to the one side," explained Nagle, noting that a shower facility will be added for Factory participants who are struggling and may be living out of their car and for staff members who like to exercise on work breaks. "The only thing that will feel different from the current look is the tile on the walls will be replaced with a smooth surface used in most commercial bathrooms that is easy to clean and maintain," said Nagle. Floor tiles, stalls, sinks, and mirrors will remain, but new lighting will help visitors to appreciate the historic details.

Nagle lauded both Beechdale and the subcontractors for taking on the job which must be completed by November to satisfy the grant requirements. A complicated bidding procedure combined with inflation and the timing of the grant all contributed to pushing the project into crunch time. "Beechdale agreed to do it, but it must be done by the first week in November," explained Nagle, who sat down to talk with Beechdale owner Sam King and project manager Matt Graham before work began in early September. "They bent over backward to restructure some things to get this done for the community," Nagle reported. "It has been a gift."

Nagle added that it is always a plus to be able to use grant money for a building project. "It's cool to be able to get it done in this capacity so that donor dollars can go toward operational ends," he said.

More information about the ministry may be found at http://www.thefactoryministries.com.