An example of the critical services provided by the YWCA Bradford occurred during Friday’s open house when a loudspeaker message cut in during the event announcing that food pantry supplies were urgently needed at the front desk for an individual.
Officials at the YW took the announcement in stride while noting the facility is constantly busy with everyday emergencies such as this to help women, children and men in need of shelter, food and services.
It is for this reason that officials with the YW facility on West Corydon Street are planning to repurpose and expand the former Second Ward School on Congress Street to serve as its new, larger home. Groundbreaking for the project could begin in late 2019 or 2020 with the total cost estimated at $5.5 million. Campaign co-chairs for the project, Jeanie Satterwhite and Lee Ann Doynow, said the ongoing fundraiser, which has raised close to $1 million, will continue to seek support from businesses, corporations and organizations in the community and region.
During the open house, the community viewed a number of architectural renderings by Klauscher Architects of Pittsburgh on what the repurposed facility will look like when completed.
“I’ve put my heart and soul into this,” said committee co-chairperson Jeanie Satterwhite of the project. “I’ve been thinking about this way, way long ago … if you spend anytime in (the current YW building) you know its lifespan is just about gone.”
The former Second Ward School was purchased by the YW from the Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corporation in June with the intention of repurposing the building to serve as the new headquarters. The new campus will condense all of the YW’s operations onto a single campus, with expansion plans to include space for a 16-bed homeless shelter as well as a 16-bed domestic violence shelter.
Laurel Phillips, YW board president, said a significant difference in the new building is that what now serves as the front of the building facing Congress Street, will be the back of the building in the new design. The repurposed building will have a front entrance facing South Avenue and accessed from Elm Street and Tibbits Avenue. The shift was made as the back side of the building will be handicap-accessible.
Phillips said the current Congress Street entrance will be transformed into a landscaped courtyard located by the executive director’s office, conference room and board room. A wall bordering the courtyard will have illuminated and raised YWCA Bradford letters.
What is now the back of the building will have covered administrative entrances with offices and a staff break room on the first floor fronted by a large parking lot accessed from Elm Street. The second floor of the main building, which can be accessed by stairs or an elevator, will also contain offices. The agency expects to have 30 employees throughout the building.
Vanessa Castano, executive director of the YW, said the facility will be expanded from the Tibbits Avenue annex portion of the building for a homeless shelter on the ground floor. A domestic violence shelter will be located above it on the second floor. Both shelters can be accessed from the main part of the building and will have an elevator and stairs. Shelter spaces will be equipped with “dignified amenities for safe storage of personal belongings.” Every two shelter rooms will be connected by “hotel suite” type locking doors, providing families of four with their own suite. On-site staff living quarters will be on the premises, and pet accommodations will be available.
The building renovations will include new windows and doors, new mechanical systems and new finishes. Designs also incorporate safety and security measures for staff and residents.
Also included in the plans will be a food pantry that will be added onto the Elm Street side of the building.
Castano said YW officials and board members plan to meet in the upcoming weeks to determine phases for the continued campaign as well as phases for construction of the building.
“We’ll have that information finalized before Thanksgiving,” Castano said.
For her part, Doynow said she is “very excited about the concepts” found with the design.
“I think they captured what the board and staff have offered as designs,” Doynow said. “There’s a little more to do yet, in terms of refining, but it’s an inspiration.”
Satterwhite said she is pleased that Doynow is part of the team, as Doynow “has participated in six capital campaigns around the country.”
On a final note, Satterwhite said that when construction begins in the future, the board will strive to use local contractors.
“Anything we can do locally, we always try to do that first,” she concluded.
