Originally constructed in the late 1800s, the Fine Arts Building on the Cardinal Gibbons School campus is an important historic landmark for the City of Baltimore, yet the structure was in disrepair. Formerly known as St. Mary's Industrial School, the facility served as an institution for delinquents and orphan boys, including baseball great Babe Ruth. SPS was selected to bring renewed life to this structure and save it from demolition.

With perimeter dimensions of approximately 120 feet by 60 feet, the three-story concrete reinforced structure has an ornamental cornice that is comprised of concrete. Initial inspections revealed that the cornice had severe deterioration primarily due to the existing gutter and downspout system that was non-functional. Additional deterioration was found on the concrete façade and parapet where the existing coating was no longer effective. The primary causes of deterioration were due to initial construction defects along with initial construction shrinkage cracking, failure of the existing coating and drainage systems, acidic gases predominant in metropolitan areas and the natural permeability of concrete. Age and a failure to perform maintenance since 1960 were also factors.

For SPS, the most difficult repair was the cornice. New reinforcing steel was added to the cornices due to the lack of sufficient existing steel. Plaster of Paris was used to make a mold of an existing sound section of the cornice and then fiberglass forms were developed. Several mockups were made prior to achieving the desired result, which was versatile enough to match all inconsistent field conditions of the cornice. Once the formwork was complete, the cornices, which had many intricate vertical and horizontal transitions, were poured. Upon completion, SPS was able to complete the project for less than the estimated amount. Today, because of the innovative concrete repair strategies developed by SPS and the effort to not only salvage but also bring new life to the structure, the building stands poised to meet the demands of tomorrow's students.