Thomas Breen photo
Mary Wade's Boardman Residence to receive $10M capital boost.
A Fair Haven-anchoring nursing home has embarked on an estimated $10 million capital campaign to refurbish its venerable, historic 19th-century Boardman Residence with central air conditioning, fewer shared bathrooms, and a host of other repairs.
Mary Wade Home CEO David Hunter detailed those major facility upgrade plans Thursday night during the latest regular monthly meeting of the Fair Haven Community Management Team. The meeting took place online via Zoom and in-person at the Fair Haven branch public library on Grand Avenue.
Hunter’s presentation focused on a suite of planned repairs to the Mary Wade Home’s Boardman Residence at 118 Clinton Ave. These plans come in the wake of Mary Wade Home being among the city’s congregant residences for the elderly most hard hit by Covid-19 in the early months of the pandemic, in part because the most venerable of its buildings has no central air conditioning and bathrooms were shared, giving a leg up to infection. They also come after the debut last year of Mary Wade Home’s newest addition, the 84-unit, assisted living facility called Chatham Place.
According to Hunter’s presentation on Thursday, the historic neighborhood institution is now embarking on a capital campaign to refurbish and renovate its oldest building, the Boardman Residence, and the estimated price tag is $10 million.
What’s also needed are letters of community support to potential funding sources, and that’s why Hunter and Mary Wade Home Vice President for Development Lisa Hottin were on hand Thursday night at the management team meeting.
Allan Appel file photo
Mary Wade Home CEO David Hunter (second from right) with State Sen. President Martin Looney and then-Mayor Toni Harp at 2019 groundbreaking.
“We’re in the planning stages for capital improvement to renovate our legacy building,” Hunter explained to a hybrid in-person and Zoom audience of roughly 40 people.
Founded in 1866 by, among others, Eli Whitney’s widow and local philanthropist Lucy Boardman as a residence for Civil War widows and their children, the building in question, at the corner of Clinton and Pine streets, is really two structures, one dating from 1870 and the other from 1890, Hunter reported.
Renovation had long been in the planning, but then Covid hit, accelerating the urgency. “For example, the building has no central air conditioning system and many residents have respiratory issues,” he said.
“Also many rooms have shared bathrooms and that’s another infection issue.”
Additional improvements in the preliminary planning foresee addressing the very limited Internet access in the building due to its thick walls, he added.
Already $2 million towards the total has been raised during the silent phase of the capital campaign and Svigals Architects has been engaged to produce preliminary drawings and architectural plans.
It’s a long and complex road of plans and approvals ahead both from the usual array of city commissions as well as from the State Historic Preservation Office. That’s in part because of the historic nature of the building, which, Hunter said, would be respected.
Initial hopes are to add units bringing the current number up to as many as 53, “but the façade will remain unchanged.”
Thursday night Hunter and Hottin’s specific ask was for a FHCMT letter of support for an application to the state’s newly established Community Investment Fund, which provides capital dollars to institutions in underserved areas, especially those that are job-producing; the Mary Wade Home is one of Fair Haven’s major employers.
The FHCMT Co-Chair Lee Cruz agreed to distribute a ballot for voting members of the management team to individually vote, in person, or via Google Docs.
Hottin also urged the audience to send her individual stories, in emails, about their interactions with the Mary Wade Home over the years. “We’d love to hear from you, how Mary Wade has impacted you and your neighbors.”
“That’s in fact a requirement of the grant,” added Hunter.
The vote tally will not be complete until the end of the week but Cruz said it is highly likely the vote to send a letter of support will be positive. (Note: The management team ultimately voted in favor of sending a letter of support for the Mary Wade Home capital improvement campaign.)
Thank you Mary Wade Home for continuing to invest in thoughtful development, always bringing the community along with you. Fair Haven Community Management Team is fortunate to have you.