Historic Phyllis Wheatley YWCA Building to be Renovated in Shaw

From a press release:

“The Phyllis Wheatley Young Women’s Christian Association, Inc. (Phyllis Wheatley YWCA) is excited to announce the renovation of its property located in the Shaw neighborhood (corner of Ninth Street and Rhode Island Avenue Northwest), which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Eager to renew the illustrious legacy and ensure a thoughtful and self-sustaining model for the building, the renovation will include 84 private living quarters and onsite support services for low-income working women and women with special needs. Additional amenities will include updated laundry facilities, green outdoor space, as well as social and professional development programs.

Over the past year, the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA has assembled a strong development team led by experienced District of Columbia based affordable housing developer Dantes Partners, LLC. Charged with the concept design and historic preservation of the building, Miner Feinstein Architects and Ronnie McGhee & Associates, bring a wealth of knowledge renovating multi-family buildings with historic preservation practices. Upon completion, the property will also feature a new resident services component, made possible by a partnership with N Street Village, a world-class permanent and supportive housing provider in the District of Columbia.

The team was recently awarded funding as part of the District of Columbia’s Spring 2013 Notice of Funding Availability, making this major undertaking possible. The funding award will insure the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA will retain ownership of the landmark site and continue to provide much needed affordable housing to its residents. Rents will remain affordable and will not increase for current residents. All of this serves to satisfy District’s Department of Housing and Community Development’s call to provide more impactful permanent supportive housing for vulnerable district residents with income below 30 percent of the Area Median Income.

According to President of the Board, Patricia L. Plummer, “Our organization and this building have too much history in this city, for us not to preserve it. We understand that this will require a little sacrifice. However, this must be seen as a short-term pain that will produce countless long-term benefits to the organization and the community we serve. We intend to build upon the foundation that was set before us and strengthen the position of the organization for years to come.”