Staats Building Renovation

A full-scale rehabilitation of a vacant 37,000 sq. ft. 4-story brick structure originally built in 1922 to house a major tenant offering impactful community services.

Investment

  • NMTC Amount: $3,900,000
  • Total Project Cost: $6,200,000

IMPACT

  • 70 FTE jobs
  • 50 construction jobs

CDEs

Investor

Project Description

The Staats Building Renovation project involved the redevelopment of the vacant Staats Hospital Building at 123 Washington Street in the City’s Elk City Historical District. It is a full-scale rehabilitation of the 37,000 sq. ft. 4-story brick structure originally built in 1922.

The space now includes Legal Aid of WV, which occupies most of the first floor, all of the second, and all of the third floor. Without the low-interest financing offered by the New Markets Loan Program, a revolving loan fund that utilizes NMTC allocations, the project would not have been feasible. The scope and scale of construction would have been reigned in significantly, likely halting or ending the project.

Legal Aid of West Virginia (LAWV) is a nonprofit with a set annual budget – it could not afford to move into the space without significant financial help. LAWV provides free legal services and advocacy. They ensure dignity and equal justice is available to all West Virginians, not just those who can afford it. The intake criteria for receiving LAWV services is that a family or individual have a household income at or below 125% of the federal poverty level (with exceptions for up to 20% of poverty level if the household has certain monthly expenses like childcare or work transportation), have experienced domestic violence, or qualify for one of LAWV’s other special grants.

The renovation of the Staats building and the additional space provided to LAWV allowed them to increase their annual services from an estimated 3,100 to 7,750, effectively doubling their annual impact. Not only will LAWV handle a larger case and client load, but they are able to offer a childcare room where children of clients will be able to play while their parents are meeting with attorneys.

Funds raised from the Justice on the Move campaign supported the move, from ensuring the office is furnished and up-to-date on technology to creating a welcoming space for clients and visitors. For more than 20 years, clients coming to LAWV’s main office in Charleston have been served in a space that might best be described as something of a hodgepodge. Clients, many of whom are just getting by themselves, could not be blamed for wondering if LAWV were doing just the same. The refurbished offices will provide a home for LAWV for years to come and be an anchor for their statewide services, with a presence in a neighborhood where many of their clients live.

MAP

Address: 125 W Washington Street, Charleston, WV 25302

PDF Profile

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