From house of prayer to HOUSE OF PURR
‘Epic Cat Fort’ planned for former St. Clement Church in Tarentum
Inside the previously vacant former St. Clement Church in Tarentum, a labyrinth is in the works. But instead of a menacing Minotaur at the center of the maze, a cluster of kitties may soon be scaling a giant multitextured “Epic Cat Fort.”
Application developer Phillip Rhodes, 48, of Highland Park is inviting artists and non-artists to help design sections of the massive fort, which he is hoping will be completed by March 15 to help open his new event space, the Clement.
The idea for the cat fort spontaneously popped into his head, he said. “I don’t know where it came from,” he said. “I thought, ‘Wouldn't this be crazy?’ ”
In December 2015, when Mr. Rhodes purchased the 43,000-square-foot church at an auction for $55,000, he began envisioning the space as a hub for community engagement. It had been vacant for more than 20 years.
Tarentum, a borough of Allegheny County just 22 miles outside Downtown, was once a hub of manufacturing for plate glass, bottles, bricks, lumber and steel. Today, the epicenter of the town is depressed, said Mr. Rhodes, who noted that the region has suffered greatly from blight.
“There’s broken windows and plywood over the doors,” he said about the borough’s main corridor. “But at the same time, I think there are a lot of people who care very much.”
Mr. Rhodes envisions the Epic Cat Fort to tower 40 feet into the church’s high-ceiling sanctuary room, an area with 2,760 square feet of space.
He plans to install a base of 2-by-4 foot boards, with connecting tubes. Each level will feature varying textures, including carpeting. “Tactiles are important for the kitties,” he said.
Mr. Rhodes has always been a cat lover. He recalls fond memories of his late cat Huckle, who lived for 23 years. For that reason, he’s conscious of cats’ array of temperaments.
Each cardboard and papier-mache section will be assembled in 4-by-4-foot pieces, so each will have a unique artistic style and Mr. Rhodes will be able to close off some sections to create quiet spaces for shy cats. “There’s also going to be a timeout section,” he joked. He said his organization would provide materials and helpers to help people design their sections.
The cats and kittens, to be provided by Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center, will be available for adoption.
Although he’s spent nearly $100,000 on renovations, Mr. Rhodes said he doesn’t seek an eventual profit from the church project.
In a struggling post-industrial neighborhood, he simply wants to bring positive changes. “I just need to make this building sustainable. All I want is for it to be used,” he said.
He questioned whether he would ever finish refurbishing the former church. “I’m a software engineer. I’m sort of out of my element,” Mr. Rhodes laughed. “I don’t even talk to people at work.”