I bet that headline caught your attention. Well, that is what headlines are all about.
So, usually swan songs means that people are going somewhere and I am. After the three hardest, but most rewarding, years of my life helming what we called at the beginning the “pie in the sky” project, and what is now the LGBT-friendly John C. Anderson Affordable senior apartments, I’ll be, for the most part, cutting my attachment to the project. We’ve taught the baby to walk, and now it’s time for it to run on its own. Translation: The building is built and almost fully occupied. We’ve done the heavy lifting. We raised the $19.5 million, we found the developer, we worked with HUD to make “LGBT-friendly” a national legal designation, we brought it in on budget and on time. And, most importantly, we did it with almost full community unity, something unheard of in other cities’ LGBT communities. To the community, you have my heartfelt gratitude.
Now for what I advertised in that headline, my swan song. Here’s where I explain that it might be a little misleading. You decide.
Next up for Jason and me is a real vacation. We’ll leave a few weeks after the ribbon-cutting. We actually started to plan that vacation in August and, at times, when I was running on fumes, it was the light at the end of a very long tunnel. To assure that it’s a real vacation and that we, for the first time in three years, won’t be reachable when a problem occurs (hey, you’re adults; figure it out) we’ve told different people that we’re going to various destinations. In reality, no one knows where we are going.
On our return, it is expected that the building will be in the hands of the capable building manager and our development partner, Pennrose. We choose them since they have a great record of management and are one of the largest on the East Coast. Aside from building management, we have added to our mix community involvement, and our community partners have stepped forward with pride. William Way LGBT Community Center leads the way. They will be doing social services in the building, along with Mazzoni Center, which will be meeting the legal and medical needs of the residents. And, for those with HIV/AIDS, ActionAIDS has filled that gap beautifully. We at dmhFund are proud that we share this incredible asset to our community with those partners, and we feel it is our responsibility to step back and allow them to do what they do best — serve our community.
As for me, well, I’ll still be here, working alongside my fellow PGN staffers and working on the next project or vision. But one thing remains true: This time, I won’t be afraid to think out of the box, and to think big. We know that, with unity in the community, all things are possible.
If you have any doubt, get to meet the most wondrous of people, the residents of the John C. Anderson Apartments. They will inspire you.
Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s most-award-winning commentator in LGBT media. He can be reached at [email protected].