Half-million dollars dedicated to Mt. Zion Church renovations

BELTON, Texas (FOX 44) – The historic Mount Zion United Methodist Church is one step closer to renovation.

This comes after the Belton City Council authorized a contract for up to $519,068 on Tuesday, with RM Rodriguez Construction as the Construction Manager at Risk for the project.

The City of Belton says this project includes both interior and exterior renovations, such as masonry repairs, window and door replacements, installation of a new HVAC unit, flooring and ceiling upgrades, bell tower restoration, and improvements to rain gutters, sidewalks and the parking lot.

The renovation is supported by various funding sources, including $100,000 from the African-American Cultural Heritage Action Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, with support from the Lilly Endowment. Preservation Texas will provide $75,000 through the Texas Rural African American Heritage Grants Program, funded by the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant from the National Park Service (NPS).

Matching contributions from the members of the Mount Zion United Methodist Church is expected to total $25,000. The City of Belton’s allocation under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 total $319,068, which is part of a $500,000 fund approved on March 22, 2022, in order to cover construction costs, design and associated services.