St. Nicholas a National Immigration Museum?

Even before St. Nicholas Church on Route 28 closed in 2004, efforts were underway to preserve this first Croatian parish in the U.S. Today the Northside Leadership Conference and the Preserve Croatian Heritage Foundation announced some possibilities for the property.

PCHF President Bill Vergot says his group spent $40,000—almost all the money they'd raised to save St. Nicholas—for studies on converting the property into a national immigration museum for all immigrants to Pittsburgh--not just Croatians.

There are also plans for a trail that would connect with the riverfront trail system.

The architectural studies by Astorino estimate a cost of $10 million to build the museum and 5- to 600,000 dollars a year to maintain. Mark Fatla, Executive Director of the Northside Leadership Conference says the cost is modest compared to the $20 million Aviary expansion and the $30 million August Wilson Center. Funding strategies would avoid the traditional museum model that requires annual grants by seeking an endowment from fraternal organizations and individuals for operating costs, with government and foundation money for capital costs. A marketing study by Integra Realty Resources says about 25,000 visitors could be expected each year.

A sale of the property being negotiated by the parish and a billboard company would not necessarily doom the project, according to Fatla. PennDOT plans for Route 28 spare the church property, according to Mark Fatla, and would not impact the project, which is probably at least five years away.