Photo credit: Benson Kua
Earlier this month, on election eve in fact, the LGBT Community Center held its long anticipated Center Move Town Hall Meeting to garner community input as well as provide an informational review concerning its upcoming move. Its fourth move since opening in the late 1990s, the Center’s goal of purchasing its own space has been deferred, although it remains part of a long-term plan.
Originally announced at the Center’s Annual Meeting at the end of June, the Town Hall was supposed to take place the following month. Its intent would be to present possible sites for the Center’s relocation. Community members could then discuss the pros and cons of each and voice their concerns or preferences based on the information provided. With the move out of its current Market Street location scheduled for March 2021, time was of the essence.
Announced at the end of October, the November 2 Zoom Town Hall, with a dozen participants, including presenters and Center staff, unveiled the list of potential new sites. They include the former Center location on West Court Street, the Eagleknit on South Second Street in Walker’s Point and The Fortress in Brewer’s Hill. Also mentioned was a novel “Hub & Spoke Strategy” which entailed a number of partner entities located in Walker’s Point and elsewhere within the city. These will presumably provide meeting and activity spaces.
The Center’s presentation included a comparative study of the current location and the three under consideration. The Center now occupies a 13,000 sq. ft. space of which about 10,000 is usable. The annual cost is $160,000. Court Street offers 11,500 sq. ft., Eagleknit, 6500 sq. ft. (with access to additional space for events), and The Fortress, 8,664 sq. ft. The price point for each is roughly in the range of the current site. For any of the locations, 10-year lease would be required.
Community Input?
How much community input would really be part of the equation is unclear. During the course of the meeting, it was mentioned that the decision on the new location was all but made. Hints suggested a return to Court Street with a reference to “back to our roots” (actually, the Center first opened in the Walker’s Point gayborhood on Second Street). It was also noted in passing that an elevator was to be installed at Court Street to accommodate the Center’s needs. The site does offer more parking spaces than the others, which, according to the presentation could be a revenue stream if rented to attendees of Bucks’ games and other Fiserv events. However, one Town Hall participant, a senior and Center volunteer, raised the issue of senior accessibility and safety. The Court Street building is on a steeply graded sidewalk that became treacherously icy during the winter months and there are only two bus routes stopping nearby. My own recollection of that site is its insular isolation.
Rather than a retreat to obscurity, one might argue for a return to Walker’s Point if only to raise its profile and engagement in the community. Besides, the LGBT Community Center would then be on the Pride Parade route.
In any case, the Town Hall’s brevity left me with more questions than answers. It lasted all of an hour. Considering the new site will be the Center’s future home for a decade, I hope the due diligence required for such a major undertaking has been pursued with all things considered.
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