Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 20:08:29 -1000 From: Maggie Heineman Subject: Phila GLBT Comm. Cntr: Building Purchased, Ex Dir hired I'm sending this press release to my one-way PA email list as well as to pa-expose and phl-motss. Maggie ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For Immediate Release Contact: Cynthia Chalker, (215) 238-0739 (after 12/18) Richard Heyl, (215) 592-1513, ext. 221 GAY COMMUNITY CENTER ANNOUNCES PURCHASE OF BUILDING; HIRES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (12/17/96) - The Board of Directors of the William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center announced today that they have signed an agreement of sale to purchase a new building for the Community Center. They also announced the hiring of an Executive Director. The Community Center will purchase the former Engineers' Club, located in the city's Washington Square West neighborhood, from Chancellor Associates. The building, at 1315 Spruce Street, near Juniper, contains over 26,000 square feet on four floors. According to Community Center Co-Chairs Cynthia Chalker and Jeff Goldman, the Community Center will purchase the building for $350,000. Chancellor Associates will hold the mortgage, a 15-year note. Settlement is expected later this month or early next month. Says Jeff Goldman, "This is a deal which benefits all of those involved. Chancellor Associates has worked with us to put together a deal which is good for the Community Center and good for the Washington Square West neighborhood. Because Chancellor Associates will hold the mortgage, we can concentrate the bulk of funds received from the Department of Housing and Urban and the Department of Public Health on renovations and improvements to the building. We want our new building to be a showcase for our community." The Community Center previously received a grant of $300,000 from the Department of Housing Urban Development to purchase and renovate a new building. The grant is being administered by the City's Department of Public Health. The Community Center is working with volunteers and consultants, including several members of PACE, a local group of gay architects and designers, to develop a specific plan for renovating the building. Plans will be forthcoming early next year. "This is the best holiday present our community has ever received, says board member Mark Segal, "We on the board look forward to working with the community to develop new programs and shape the new Community Center to best meet the community's needs." Jeff Goldman adds, "It is because of the commitment and support of many people, including Congressman Tom Foglietta, Mayor Rendell, Health Commissioner Estelle Richman, as well as Jesse Milan and Kevin Green of the AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, that we have come this far. We are thankful to everyone who has made this possible." Once renovations are complete, current Community Center programs, which include the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives and the Gay and Lesbian Counseling Services, will move to the new building, along with newly-developed programs. The Community Center will also continue to provide low-cost meeting space for community groups. In addition, the Community Center is talking with other organizations which provide services to the sexual minority community and are interested in moving their offices into the new Community Center. Included among services provided at the Community Center will be HIV and AIDS-related services. Says Co-Chair Cynthia Chalker, "Our vision is to make the Community Center a convenient, accessible 'one stop' kind of place. Integral to this vision is the inclusion of fellow community organizations in the Community Center as tenants. By bringing several organizations together under one roof, we believe we can best complement the services of the Community Center and meets the needs of the community. Working together, we believe, will also foster cooperation, and increase our strength as a community." At their November meeting, the Board of Directors voted to hire Richard Heyl as Executive Director. Heyl, who will start after January 1st, is the former co-chair of Penguin Place and a former board member of the William Way Community Center. Since moving to Philadelphia in 1994, Heyl has been the Director of Development and Finance for the ACLU of Pennsylvania. He has over ten years experience in non-profit administration, with an emphasis on fundraising, marketing and finance. In addition, Heyl, formerly from New York City, was a long-term volunteer for the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center of New York, where he created the Center's ORIENTATION program. Heyl lives in South Philadelphia with his partner, Anthony Ortiz. "I am excited about what lies ahead," says Heyl. " Since moving here, I have felt that our community deserves more. I have come to feel very much at home in Philadelphia, and I look forward to working with the Board of Directors and the community to create a 'home' in which we can all take pride." "In many ways," he adds, "we have come to be more accepted. On the other hand, battles are still being fought every day. Our youth still face extraordinary problems coming out, accepting themselves, and confronting homophobia. Discrimination in employment, housing or everyday life certainly has not ended. The need to provide a 'safe house' for socializing, common interests, recreation, education and support is essential to the well-being and strength of our community." Heyl, along with board members, urges the community to get involved. "I know there is a history here. I know there are differences of opinion. But our common interest well exceeds our differences. In order to make the Community Center a success, we need the support of the community. I urge anyone who can to call me after the first of the year to talk about volunteering, about joining the Board, about becoming a member of the Community Center, or about giving financial support." The Community Center will remain at its current location, 201 South Camac Street (behind the 12th Street Gym) until it moves. For more information, call the Community Center at (215) 732-2220.