News & Awards

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Project: Kelly Cullen Community
Award: Honor Award
Category: Historic Preservation
Date: 2013

 

The majestic 1909 Central YMCA — now known as Kelly Cullen Community — is a beloved landmark in San Francisco’s diverse Tenderloin neighborhood …and a terrific example of adaptive use. In 2007, the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation bought the nine-story Classical building to transform an at-risk corner into safe, affordable housing. Their five-year, $95M project included restoring and preserving the historic auditorium, three-story gymnasium, lobby, atrium, mezzanine, and grand entry staircase. The 174 residential studios, once the Y’s hotel rooms, now provide permanent supportive housing for some of San Francisco’s chronically homeless. The building also houses a health and wellness center that serves 25,000 people a year, as well as 1450 square feet of corner retail space. Now, the historic building can continue its legacy of social service for new generations, and offer its residents the comfort, beauty, and dignity they deserve.

National Preservation Honor Awards entry materials