Waite House, a community gathering place in Minneapolis’s Phillips neighborhood, started construction at its new home this month. It’s about 80 percent of the way to its goal of raising $250,000 for the project, according to Waite House information.
The neighborhood organization is moving from its cramped quarters at 2529 13th Avenue South only blocks away into the larger
Phillips Community Center at 2323 11th Avenue South.
By the spring, the organization will be sharing the building with a handful of other community-oriented organizations, including the
Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, which has also revamped some parts of the complex.
Waite House director Francisco Segovia says that the new digs will allow for “collaboration with other organizations under the same roof."
Community members will be able to take advantage of the fitness center, eat healthy meals, and take classes. It also has a double gym, teen center, kitchen, dining room, offices, parking, and more.
“This will enhance and provide services to a lot of kids in Phillips,” says Segovia.
The remodeling project mainly involves tearing down walls, installing new flooring, and upgrading systems, he says.
Until now, the Waite House has had to juggle a community café and a gym in the same space.
In the new building, the functions will be separate. It’ll also have a computer lab, community-organizing-focused library, wireless Internet access, and meeting space.
The food shelf is going to be bigger, he says. “We’ll be able to store more fresh food than we can at this point.”
In the future, he hopes the organization will be able to open a coffee cart to have on hand for meetings.
“It’s a place in the neighborhood where community members of all nationalities and ages can come and network with people there,” he says.
Source: Francisco Segovia, director, Waite House
Writer: Anna Pratt