After being located for years in an underutilized 100,000-square-foot building, the YWCA of Greater Flint soon will have a new place to call home. The YWCA is moving to a newly renovated 10,500-square-foot leased space as part of a long-term strategy to have a facility that suits the organization’s mission and current programs.
Its new home, just a few blocks from its existing site, is scheduled to open in the fall. The facility will house its existing 32-bed shelter, counseling services, administrative offices, and a new sexual assault clinic that was made possible through this relocation. The space will allow the YWCA’s 30 employees to easily manage SafeHouse, the only emergency shelter for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault in the county.
At nearly 90,000 square feet smaller than the last location, the leased space will meet the organization’s needs while reducing its costs by more than 30 percent. Additionally, the new location provides flexibility to expand programming at a later date.
YWCA of Greater Flint received financing and real estate services from IFF to complete the $987,000 project. A $320,000 IFF loan will complement grants and a capital campaign to cover the costs of the buildout and relocation. Through a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, IFF is providing owner’s representative services to assist with the buildout. IFF also will help the YWCA with demolition and disposition of its existing property.