Mark My Words: Pie In The Sky Project, Part 2

Thank you Governor Shapiro, Mayor Parker

We’re going to build a new, larger community center and include 40 LGBTQ+ affordable senior apartments on the top of that new community center.

That’s a bold statement. Some might even call it a “pie in the sky” idea. I’ve used that headline before, when we first announced what became the John C. Anderson LGBTQ Senior Affordable Housing project, developed by dmhFund. Back then, I said it would be a long road, with real challenges along the way.

And yet … we built it.

Over a year ago, the board co-chairs of William Way LGBT Community Center had a conversation with Judge Dan Anders, who then reached out to me. The question was simple: since dmhFund successfully developed John C. Anderson, could we help William Way address its current challenges?

For me, this is personal. Alongside John Herzins, Jeff Moran and John Cabiria, we secured the original $300,000 federal grant from then-Congressman Thom Foglietta that allowed us to purchase 1315 Spruce Street. Before that, William Way moved from location to location, as Bill Way used to say, “a community center without walls.” That building gave the community stability and pride.

But time has taken its toll. The current structure faces significant infrastructure issues that make renovation impractical and limit its future potential.

So instead of thinking small, we chose to think boldly.

Working with elected officials and our development partners at HELP Development, we began exploring funding opportunities and asking a simple question: What does our community need for the next 50 years — not the last 50?

The answer is a larger, modern community center with expanded square footage to grow programs and services — paired with 40 units of LGBTQ affordable senior housing, with its own separate entrance, ensuring dignity, safety and sustainability.

Will there be bumps in the road? Of course. Every meaningful project has them. But we’ve walked this road before. What once seemed like a dream became John C. Anderson.

This is not “pie in the sky.”

It’s vision, backed by experience and a belief that our community deserves more than just preserving the past. We deserve to build the future.