William Way will demolish its historic LGBT Community Center and construct a building with affordable apartments
Plans have become clear after months of confusion over the building’s future.
After months of varying reports about the future of the William Way LGBT Community Center’s headquarters in Philadelphia, a firm plan is finally emerging.
The 176-year-old building at 1315 Spruce St. will be torn down and replaced with a new headquarters, which will include up to 42 new affordable apartments for seniors, according to the development team.
The existing four-story, 14,000-square-foot building is expected to be replaced by a six-story structure. The apartments would be on the top four floors and William Way’s community center on the bottom two.
The idea is to give the storied organization more space, while providing housing for people who might not otherwise be able to live in Philadelphia’s historic Gayborhood.
“We want to make sure that people are given the opportunity to live in all areas of the city, including areas like Washington Square West that have a lot of higher income folks,” said Dan Anders, a vice chair of Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund (DMH Fund), a group that also developed the celebrated John C. Anderson apartments, half a block away.
The DMH Fund is partnering with HELPDevCo, an affordable-housing builder. William Way Center referred all questions about the proposed building to those two groups.
The William Way Center is not likely to demolish the building in the immediate future, as the project will need funding from the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit, which will not disperse funds again until late this year. The community center is currently still open.
The property is within the recently designated Washington Square West historic district, which was overturned in court last week. The timing of the announcement was coincidental, however. Plans have been in the works for months.
William Way purchased 1315 Spruce St. in 1996, and over the last 10 years, the LGBTQ community has been trying to raise money to stabilize and redevelop the historic headquarters.
Last June, the group announced that even after a fundraising drive, $3.5 million was still required for “immediate repairs.”
Swathes of the building are currently unusable, although the structure is not imminently dangerous. There are holes in the floor of some rooms, roof leaks, and standing water often fills the basement.
“It sounds like a really good plan,” said Councilmember Mark Squilla, who represents the area. “The building is in really, really bad shape. It’s been hard to maintain. The reason why it hasn’t been fixed is because the cost to fix it has been astronomical.”
In late November, William Way announced that it would shutter the building and disperse its operation to other locations, raising concerns about clients maintaining access to services.
But a week later, the community center said it planned to rehabilitate the historic building and would return to the existing structure.
“We know that there are questions regarding the future of the building and acknowledge that messaging has been confusing,” William Way board chairs Laura Ryan and Dave Huting said in a January email to supporters. “We understand the frustration and will be sharing more information soon.
Last week Philadelphia Gay News reported that William Way would be demolishing its building and moving forward with a comprehensive redevelopment.
The announcement occurred at a gala for the publication’s 50th anniversary, with Gov. Josh Shapiro and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker in attendance and expressing support for the proposal.
Historic preservation advocates have expressed concern and sadness over the proposed demolition.
“We are alarmed by the news that the historic William Way building would be demolished in the recently announced plans for the future of the real estate,” said Paul Steinke, head of the Preservation Alliance. “We hope they will be willing to incorporate historic preservation into their plans.”
Steinke served on William Way’s board for six years and helped lead a pre-pandemic fundraising drive to replace the windows and HVAC system and conduct other repairs. (In the end, that plan did not move forward.)
Steinke said he has reached out to William Way for more information on its proposal. He also hopes that the city will appeal the ruling against the Washington Square West historic district.
“I understand the frustration of some folks that the building will be demolished, but it’s in such a state that it’s not feasible to renovate it,” Anders said.
“It is a sad reality, but that’s where we are. We will honor the tradition of that location and the William Way Center and build a building that celebrates our community and that everyone can be proud of,” he said.
The Washington Square West Civic Association declined to comment on William Way’s plans.
The property is in one of Philadelphia’s most flexible zoning categories, so land use regulations will not pose a barrier to the community center’s proposal.
The prominent mural on the side of William Way’s building is crumbling. Anders said the new structure would be designed to advertise the community center’s mission.
“The artist herself acknowledged that the mural was never intended to be permanent,” Anders said. “What we want to do when we’re designing the building is very clearly communicate with passersby and the community itself that something LGBT is going on inside, and to celebrate that.”