Category: News || By

(Rendering courtesy Thoughtful Balance Inc.)

. . .

A $6 million renovation of the former YMCA of McKeesport will make the building safer and handicapped accessible while restoring the exterior to its 1920s appearance, representatives of ACTION-Housing told city council on Tuesday.

"It's a beautiful building --- it's a landmark --- and structurally, except for the internal systems, it's in very good shape," architect Michael Whartnaby said.

The four-story building on Sinclair Street, now called McKeesport Downtown Housing, is being transformed into an 84-unit apartment building that will house a mix of low- and fixed-income tenants, social service agencies and an emergency shelter. Pittsburgh-based ACTION-Housing --- which already operates low- or fixed-income apartment buildings on Versailles Avenue and White Street --- said the work is slated to begin in September and will last more than a year.

YMCA of McKeesport's fitness facilities, formerly located in the building, have moved to a new facility in the Bondi Building near UPMC McKeesport Hospital.

Built in 1922, the McKeesport YMCA always operated residences for transients, but the existing apartments are poor quality, not accessible for wheelchairs and lack modern amenities. The cost of the necessary renovations, and the difficulty of separating the residential sections of the building from the fitness areas in the building, were factors in the McKeesport Y's decision to vacate the facility.

"We're not new to this kind of work," said Pat Fenton, deputy executive director of ACTION-Housing, which has been running the residential part of the building for two years. "We're not coming into this naively, and we're coming into this with 55 years of experience." In part, the agency is using the experience it gained running Wood Street Commons in downtown Pittsburgh, a 258-unit building.

. . .

ACTION-Housing is "excited about the opportunity" it has in McKeesport, Fenton said. As a YMCA, the building was tax-exempt, but with the conversion into a residential building, it will be added to the property tax rolls. ACTION-Housing also will pay the McKeesport Housing Authority about $20,000 per year for administering about 40 rental vouchers for residents of the building.

. . .

Jim DeGrazia, a consultant for ACTION-Housing, said the agency Is trying to create a "safe place" for all residents and other people who use the building. "The rules and regulations are pretty strict," he said. Tenants of the Sinclair Street building are not allowed to smoke indoors, or to use alcohol on the property. Firearms are also prohibited and the doors are locked at midnight.

Cameras are used to monitor the hallways and there is 24-hour supervision on site. In addition, McKeesport police rent space in the building for a private fitness club, DeGrazia said.

"We would hope to continue to have that police presence in the building going forward," Fenton said, but added he knows of no increase in police or fire calls at the building under ACTION's management, other than for "acute emergencies."

Some of the tenants are people who have lost their homes due to substance abuse or financial difficulties, but others rent their apartments. "Not everyone is turning over constantly," Fenton said. "We have people who have been there for 13 or 14 years, so there is an element of stability to the population."

. . .

The renovations, designed by Thoughtful Balance Inc. of East Liberty, add an elevator, new bathrooms, new kitchens and air conditioning. New windows will help restore the building's 1920s appearance, said Whartnaby, an associate with the firm.

A handicapped accessible entrance will be added on the side of the building, but the Sinclair Street facade will remain largely as built, he said. A portion of the building will be set aside as an emergency severe weather shelter.

There are presently tenants living in the building, which will remain "about 50 percent" occupied during the work, Fenton said.

General contractor on the project is Repal Construction. President Bill Palmer Jr. told city council the firm will make a concerted effort to hire McKeesport-area residents to work on the project and expects to have nine to 11 positions available.

You are previewing your comment. Be sure to click on 'Post Comment' to store it.