By Morris Malakoff, JTNews Correspondent
Correction: The new building will be adjacent to the Jessie Danz Building, and not so named. This article has been changed to reflect the correction. JTNews regrets the error.
In 1995, Jewish Family Service moved into its current Capitol Hill location on 16th Avenue, renovating a former eye clinic to serve as the center of operations for 40 employees and about 200 volunteers.
Fifteen years later, 200 employees and 1,300 volunteers are crammed into the same structure, with closets and other non-administrative areas having long ago been converted into office space, often shared by more than one employee.
Many other employees and programs are spread across town in rented space, adding a financial burden to JFS and a logistical burden for clients who need to access multiple programs.
The current offices are so overcrowded and outdated that administrators worry client confidentiality is at risk.
“It is very uncomfortable to be here for a confidential appointment and have someone you know walk in and ask ‘What are you here for?’” said Ken Weinberg, Jewish Family Service’s CEO.
But those days of uncomfortable working conditions, awkward moments in the lobby, and other impediments to the high standard of service JFS strives to deliver may soon be a thing of the past.
On April 28, the JFS board of directors unanimously voted to proceed with the construction of a $9 million, 19,000-square-foot building adjacent to the current 13,500-square-foot structure.
“This has been a long process that was not entered into lightly,” said JFS board president Dianne Loeb. “It has been a dream for nearly a decade and now it seems like after almost 10 years the pieces have sufficiently fallen into place for us to feel comfortable with moving ahead.”
Groundbreaking is expected to occur in early 2011.
The plan is contingent on promised money converting to solid donations, something Loeb and Weinberg are confident will happen. Fundraising for the building is also continuing.
Loeb said the funds, which are segregated from the operational monies used for programs, have been being raised for many years and that a combination of sources that are available, including some government money, have made the board comfortable with breaking ground early next year.
“Our goal is to raise $11 million,” said Weinberg. “About $2 million of that is to cover interest charges, which we are hoping to not have if enough money is raised to pay for the building.”
The new building will rise above the current parking lot on the north side of JFS’ Jessie Danz Building, with the parking being retained at street level below the first floor of the two-story building.
Weinberg said that while JFS is not building an extravagant headquarters, it is building a quality building.
“The building will be LEED certified at the silver level,” he said referring to environmental building standards. “That is not only good for the broader environmental elements, but it has been shown that LEED buildings are healthier working environments as well.”
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design is an internationally recognized green building certification system.
The new building, which will be attached to the current building, will bring an immediate cost savings to JFS when programs that are currently in rented satellite locations are consolidated under one roof.
For the larger community, Weinberg noted benefits that extend beyond the traditional clientele served by JFS.
“We only have one small meeting room at the moment and it is barely adequate for our internal purposes,” he said. “In the new building we are planning more space, including a large room that can be divided for various meeting configurations. We are planning to make it available for more than just JFS.”
For individual clients, the privacy issue will be answered.
“There will be an entrance for people coming to JFS for confidential meetings and a lobby for just that purpose,” Weinberg said. “There will also be a new public entrance.”
The building could take 10 to 12 months to complete, meaning a year of adjustments for both JFS staff and clients.
“We are developing a list of nearby available parking we will make available,” said Weinberg. “Many of our clients and staff do use transit or other methods of transportation as well.”
JFS hopes to be able occupy the 16th Avenue facility for at least the next 25 to 30 years beginning in late 2011 or early 2012.
“We have planned for growth of programs in constructing the [new] building,” he said. “It is not like we will move in and suddenly again be out of space.”
Loeb concurred. She pointed out that the board is cognizant of the wave of graying baby-boomers rapidly approaching.
“We are planning for that and know that the demand for services is going to rise in the next few decades,” she said. “This is a project that has that in mind.”
Weinberg and Loeb say they are particularly gratified that raising the money so far has been separate from program funding. Weinberg says the community is generous in contributing to those programs and he thinks asking for a new building is not an extravagance, even in the rough economic times that have been part and parcel of the past two years.
“We have been around 118 years and this is the first time we have built a new structure designed specifically for JFS and for our community,” he said. “Once in 118 years doesn’t seem excessive.”