PITTSBURGH — Local and state leaders united Friday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the renovation of the former Centre Avenue YMCA.
For decades, the historic building in the Hill District has offered low-cost housing for men, but in recent years the condition of the building has deteriorated.
Through a partnership between the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh and ACTION-Housing, Inc., more than $7 million were raised to make repairs, including adding an elevator, new bathrooms, air conditioning and more. More than 70 people can be housed there.
“It’s beautiful, looking at the way the building used to look, it’s a 100% difference, a complete 360,” said Sam Barksdale. “It gives a person the opportunity to get situated, to get on their feet.
Barksdale used to live at the building, but now he works there in maintenance.
Developers said it was important to preserve the building’s rich history during the renovations. The former YMCA had been a staple of African American culture.
During Friday’s ceremony, a spokesperson with the Urban Redevelopment Authority told the crowd, “While segregation laws of the 1920s through the 1950s barred African Americans from taking residence in many of the neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh, the Centre Ave YMCA was one of the first YMCAs in the country to offer accommodations to African Americans, so we’re proud to have supported the continuation of that legacy.”
The building will also offer social services to residents.
View video from Action Housing regarding the opening here