Ribbon Cutting

The average temperature in Cleveland in January is 35 degrees.

It was a little colder than that on January 22. We went outside anyway.

Just over two years ago, Benjamin Rose launched major renovations at Margaret Wagner House. This multi-million-dollar project included many upgrades to the 65-year-old building: a new roof, elevators and HVAC systems. There were upgrades to plumbing, lighting and electrical systems, and improvements to common areas, laundry and office spaces. New flooring, the restoration of the main entrance and the regrading of the entry drive have made the building more accessible.

More importantly, the renovations included the addition of twenty apartments, expanding the number of affordable housing units for older adults living in Cleveland Heights. Existing units were renovated and upgraded as well, with new appliances, cabinetry, countertops, flooring, finishes, paint and color schemes.

On Wednesday we celebrated the completion of the project with an open house and ribbon cutting. There were tours of the building and the apartments. A few hardy souls even braved the cold for a ribbon cutting at the front entrance. It was a celebration of our mission and our commitment to older adults. I think Margaret Wagner would have been proud.

The renovations of Margaret Wagner Apartments required collaboration and support from a variety of sources, public, private and nonprofit, who shared their expertise and their resources to bring the project together. We began with the commitment of the Benjamin Rose Board of Directors, who authorized more than three million dollars for the effort, which was critical to securing additional support.

Essential to the project was funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD’s Section 202 program provides capital advances and rent subsidies for very low-income older adults. Their Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) encourages private investment in affordable housing projects through tax credits. Created by the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the LIHTC program gives State and local LIHTC-allocating agencies the equivalent of approximately 10 billion dollars in annual budget authority to issue tax credits for the acquisition, rehabilitation or new construction of rental housing targeted to lower-income households. In Ohio, the LIHTC program is administered by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA). Additional support came from Cuyahoga County, the City of Cleveland Heights, Key Community Development Corporation, Citizens Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston.

Offering high-quality and affordable housing also requires the commitment of talented professionals. David DiFrancesco and his team at Hiti, DiFrancesco and Siebold, Inc. provided architectural and design talents to guide the renovations and create new apartments that promote accessibility and universal design. Kevin Nowak and the staff of CHN Housing Partners shared their expertise in securing funding for the project and acting as our general contractor, helping ensure timely completion of the work. They worked closely with staff from Benjman Rose, including our Chief Operating Officer Mary Marita and Chief Financial Officer Janice Brennan, and the Margaret Wagner Apartments team: Building Manager Leila Washington, Occupancy Specialist Trina Brosius and Maintenance Supervisor Dennis Johnson.

Also contributing to the success of this project were the residents at Margaret Wagner Apartments. Many residents remained in the building throughout the construction period. Some relocated to other units while their apartments were being renovated. They dealt with the noise and construction crews and the staging of equipment in the parking lots. There were tours and inspections and system tests. And as the building took shape, they were among our best ambassadors for tenants for the new space. In short, they were real troopers.

Margaret Wagner House is part of history at Benjamin Rose, and Margaret Wagner Apartments is an important investment in our commitment to Housing and Home Ownership. Housing stability is important at every stage of life, and the ability to age in place requires having a place to call home. And so, we gathered on a cold January evening to celebrate, and express our gratitude for the people, and partnerships that helped make it possible.

Learn more about our work in homeownership and housing stability by visiting our website: www.benrose.org