Obama stimulus funds are major funder of YWCA building renovation
Stimulating Restoration
Stimulating Restoration
project was in the right place at the right time.
“Within that act, there were two parts to it that were specific for low-income housing programs like ours for those tax credits that
couldn’t be sold on the market,” Mershart said. “We were able to exchange those credits for a grant from WHEDA. And that is the ARRA
money that you are seeing in this building right now. It really was a joyful day when we secured that grant. It is an out and out grant.”
Since it is a grant and not a loan, the YWCA is able to transform its building including the installation of central air-conditioning — they
had been sweating it out all these years — while keeping it affordable for the single women and the women-headed households who
live there, some who have lived there since 1968. That was the primary goal of the YWCA.
“Affordable means affordable rents,” Mershart said. “We needed to ensure that we were here and that the people who live here
will have a place to live, not just a place, but a very sweet home that they can afford. And we’re going to be able to do that as well.
When we are done, we’ll have 99 units, some of which will be efficiency apartments, some will be small 1-2 bedroom apartments and
a large chunk of the rooms will be single room occupancies with community kitchens for those units.”
The second goal was to become as energy efficient as possible, a sizable task given that it was built in 1926 and windows line
the sides of the building. “We’re working with Focus on Energy to accomplish that goal,” Mershart said. “We have all new windows,
highly efficient furnaces and water heaters.”
The final goal also gives Mershart considerable pride, the restoration, as much as is feasible, of the building to its 1926
appearance, in part through $2.3 million in historic preservation tax credits that the YWCA secured.
“What you see in the lobby and the spirit throughout the building is that 1926 look,” Mershart said. “We’re really trying to do a
historic rehab to the extent that we can. You probably saw the new canopy and the new window treatment. That is all historic. Those
are colors that were here in 1926 when it was first built. The lobby has the feel of what it looked like because we have pictures. So
clearly it’s not all chairs and couches going back to the far wall anymore. But the spirit is very much like it looked in the pictures. We
uncovered the marble in the lobby. It is the same marble that is in the State Capitol. The wainscoting was covered with paint. We
uncovered that and brought that back in the lobby. We completely rebuilt the marquee and the main entrance to the building. We’re
doing all new masonry work on the exterior of the building, especially on the lower level.”
The YWCA has been a picture perfect project of the Obama stimulus money. Although a massive renovation is going on
downtown on prime real estate — and area sporting some pricey condos — it is keeping some important housing affordable for the 150
people who call the YWCA home. It is restoring a historic building to its original appearance to the extent possible. And it has given 45-
65 employees of Vogel Brothers Construction — employees who could have been on the unemployment rolls — needed employment
during the Great Recession. Not a bad use of the stimulus funds.
T he YWCA is in the final phase of its $1.8 million capital campaign, its contribution to the $14 million project. Checks can be made
out to the YWCA Capital Campaign, 101 E. Mifflin Street, Madison, WI 53703 or donations can be made at their website, www.
ywcamadison.org.
“Within that act, there were two parts to it that were specific for low-income housing programs like ours for those tax credits that
couldn’t be sold on the market,” Mershart said. “We were able to exchange those credits for a grant from WHEDA. And that is the ARRA
money that you are seeing in this building right now. It really was a joyful day when we secured that grant. It is an out and out grant.”
Since it is a grant and not a loan, the YWCA is able to transform its building including the installation of central air-conditioning — they
had been sweating it out all these years — while keeping it affordable for the single women and the women-headed households who
live there, some who have lived there since 1968. That was the primary goal of the YWCA.
“Affordable means affordable rents,” Mershart said. “We needed to ensure that we were here and that the people who live here
will have a place to live, not just a place, but a very sweet home that they can afford. And we’re going to be able to do that as well.
When we are done, we’ll have 99 units, some of which will be efficiency apartments, some will be small 1-2 bedroom apartments and
a large chunk of the rooms will be single room occupancies with community kitchens for those units.”
The second goal was to become as energy efficient as possible, a sizable task given that it was built in 1926 and windows line
the sides of the building. “We’re working with Focus on Energy to accomplish that goal,” Mershart said. “We have all new windows,
highly efficient furnaces and water heaters.”
The final goal also gives Mershart considerable pride, the restoration, as much as is feasible, of the building to its 1926
appearance, in part through $2.3 million in historic preservation tax credits that the YWCA secured.
“What you see in the lobby and the spirit throughout the building is that 1926 look,” Mershart said. “We’re really trying to do a
historic rehab to the extent that we can. You probably saw the new canopy and the new window treatment. That is all historic. Those
are colors that were here in 1926 when it was first built. The lobby has the feel of what it looked like because we have pictures. So
clearly it’s not all chairs and couches going back to the far wall anymore. But the spirit is very much like it looked in the pictures. We
uncovered the marble in the lobby. It is the same marble that is in the State Capitol. The wainscoting was covered with paint. We
uncovered that and brought that back in the lobby. We completely rebuilt the marquee and the main entrance to the building. We’re
doing all new masonry work on the exterior of the building, especially on the lower level.”
The YWCA has been a picture perfect project of the Obama stimulus money. Although a massive renovation is going on
downtown on prime real estate — and area sporting some pricey condos — it is keeping some important housing affordable for the 150
people who call the YWCA home. It is restoring a historic building to its original appearance to the extent possible. And it has given 45-
65 employees of Vogel Brothers Construction — employees who could have been on the unemployment rolls — needed employment
during the Great Recession. Not a bad use of the stimulus funds.
T he YWCA is in the final phase of its $1.8 million capital campaign, its contribution to the $14 million project. Checks can be made
out to the YWCA Capital Campaign, 101 E. Mifflin Street, Madison, WI 53703 or donations can be made at their website, www.
ywcamadison.org.
By Jonathan Gramling
The renovation and restoration of the YWCA building on E. Mifflin Street
— what was the Belmont Hotel when the YWCA purchased it in 1968 and
converted it into affordable housing for women and their dependents —
almost seems like an act of providence.
Several years ago, the YWCA began considering doing some rehab
work to their structure. “We began to notice some serious water issues on
the eleventh floor in the kitchen and in the Vilas Room,” said Eileen
Mershart, YWCA’s executive Director. “Upon further investigation, we
found some serious problems with the roof, the gutters, downspouts,
masonry work and things like that. It was going to be about $1 million to put
up scaffolding to fix it. Once we saw that price tag, we said ‘It’s time
anyway. We really need to take a hard look at our energy issues, our
window issues, our elevator issues and the whole thing.’”
The YWCA put together a $14 million renovation plan and submitted a
$9.5 million request to WHEDA for tax credits. WHEDA approved their
request, but the YWCA couldn’t sell the tax credits due to the Great
Recession. The Obama’s stimulus, the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA), was passed and the YWCA’s “shovel-ready”
The renovation and restoration of the YWCA building on E. Mifflin Street
— what was the Belmont Hotel when the YWCA purchased it in 1968 and
converted it into affordable housing for women and their dependents —
almost seems like an act of providence.
Several years ago, the YWCA began considering doing some rehab
work to their structure. “We began to notice some serious water issues on
the eleventh floor in the kitchen and in the Vilas Room,” said Eileen
Mershart, YWCA’s executive Director. “Upon further investigation, we
found some serious problems with the roof, the gutters, downspouts,
masonry work and things like that. It was going to be about $1 million to put
up scaffolding to fix it. Once we saw that price tag, we said ‘It’s time
anyway. We really need to take a hard look at our energy issues, our
window issues, our elevator issues and the whole thing.’”
The YWCA put together a $14 million renovation plan and submitted a
$9.5 million request to WHEDA for tax credits. WHEDA approved their
request, but the YWCA couldn’t sell the tax credits due to the Great
Recession. The Obama’s stimulus, the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA), was passed and the YWCA’s “shovel-ready”
| YWCA Executive Director Eileen Mershart (r) with a Vogel Brothers Construction worker who is finishing off a room as a part of the $14 million renovation and restoration of the YWCA. |
