For over 20 years, a group of dedicated volunteers have been pushing to redevelop the former Linwood Presbyterian Church located just southwest of Linwood Boulevard and U.S. Highway 71. It took $10M in NMTC allocation ($5M from Central Bank, $5M from Altcap), paired with historic preservation tax credits, to finally bring the vision to fruition.

In 2015, the Linwood Area Ministry Place (LAMP) was formed to redevelop the property.

David Warm, chair, explained the journey, “We’ve approached this project using many different strategies—fundraising, partnerships—but after all these years, what made it go was the New Markets Tax Credits.”

The preservation of this historic landmark was complete in spring of 2016 and provide 40,000 sq. ft. of space to non-profit tenants including the anchor tenant, ReDiscover—a community mental health agency. The new community building will soon be home to four other organizations with hope for more: Front Porch Alliance, youth support services; Connection for Good, computer training and job skill development; Future Leaders Outreach Network, teaching life skills and leadership; and the Presbyterian district offices.