The William Way LGBT Community Center abruptly closed in October after mold was found during an environmental assessment associated with the center’s much-anticipated renovation project. Now, they’re getting ready to welcome people back into the building — but the project is on hold.
Over 100 community groups — including LGBTQ+ sports, arts and culture, and recovery groups who otherwise cannot afford their own space — use William Way’s facilities. Some of the recovery meetings that typically take place at William Way have regained use of the lobby, and at the close of 2024, the center was taking steps toward offering local LGBTQ+ choir Philadelphia Voices of Pride access to the ballroom for rehearsals. Over the next month, more community groups that have historically utilized the center will be allowed to use it again.
“You might say we’re doing a soft reopening,” said Dave Huting, co-chair of the center’s board.
Huting told PGN that William Way’s leaders decided to close the building only as a precautionary measure — not because it was mandated by an official or required based on findings of the assessment. Huting said leaders have now learned that the mold is isolated behind walls on only the top few floors and “isn’t at a level that’s significant enough to cause harm to anybody,” which allows the center to reopen.
Repairs like this aren’t uncommon for a building as old as William Way’s — which is actually two former homes built in the 1840s that were joined in modern times to make a larger space. The front one-third of the center’s building is considered historically significant, and certain features need preservation as construction takes place.
While the building was closed in early winter, some repairs were completed — including repairs to a fire tower at the back of the building — to ensure the building is safe. The center now has estimates to fix a leaky roof — but leaders might not choose to repair it.
“How much do you want to put into a roof you might get rid of?” Huting asked, referring to the ongoing efforts to not only update and renovate the building but potentially expand as previously planned through the Build the Way capital campaign.
That campaign launched in 2022 — with intentions to demolish the rear of the building in 2023, construction of a 10-story addition that same year, and a grand opening of the new space to begin in October 2024. Some improvements — including a new HVAC system as well as upgrades to security and interiors — were made early-on, but the plan is otherwise way behind its projected schedule.
That’s because changes to the project are likely coming. Initially, Huting thought small adjustments to the design could save the center enough money to stick closer to its initial plans — but construction costs have been prohibitive.
“The project was initially one cost,” Huting said. “And when we started honing in on plans, the cost estimates became astronomical — so we’ve had to reevaluate.”
Huting also doesn’t want to spend money the center doesn’t have yet. After being struck from an appropriations bill following a targeted attack by Libs of TikTok, he noted that it’s best not to commit to plans based on funding promises.
State grant funding has been earmarked for the organization’s renovation — but that doesn’t mean it’s been distributed. For instance, one program requires the center to first receive donations that it will match in return.
Counting that conditional funding, William Way has raised approximately $14 million for the building program — but Huting estimates that less than half of that is real dollars waiting in the bank.
An email newsletter that includes milestones William Way achieved in 2024 highlights that $2.25 million “in commitments to future construction costs” was raised for the project during 2024.
When the time is right, the center hopes to hire a chief development officer who would focus on fundraising for both the construction project and general operations. Donors can currently offer money to either — but Huting encourages prospective donors to focus more on supporting specific programs and general operations for now.
Major construction is paused, Huting explained, until decisions are made about which aspects of the plans are still wanted and needed. An engineering assessment was planned for the end of the year, and over the next few months, the board will consider various options.
Huting said the pandemic has changed the way some groups use the space. For example, most of the peer counseling — which served 340 people experiencing crisis during 2024 — now happens online. And the center’s previous idea to rent out mixed-use offices, conference rooms and entertainment spaces might not be strongly desired now that more locals work from home.
Huting said he’s now interested in figuring out how to repair and update the existing structure, improve accessibility, and find the right balance between physical space and other program resources.
He’s also hoping to raise money to better support existing programs and staff the building most effectively — which has been challenging due to what Huting called a “dim summer and fall” of lackluster revenue and donations. The center’s leadership laid off some employees as a result of those difficulties.
Huting said he understands the community might be concerned about the stability of LGBTQ+ organizations given recent news about Mazzoni Center’s financial hardship. He also said that William Way’s leaders are trying to be careful and deliberate in their approach to decision-making so that they can make responsible choices with funding.
Decisions haven’t been made about how the center will “reconstitute the staff,” Huting explained, but leaders are hoping to raise more money for general operations, which will help guide those decisions in the new year. Huting said a year-end report will provide some information that will affect the next steps. The hope is to better understand how to support existing programs and most effectively staff the building accordingly.
The center and the many programs that gather in the building offer LGBTQ+ people “a sense of being and belonging,” he said. “I just think all that’s super important for uplifting the community.”