The Polish Home hosts many groups with a variety of activities. As the number of groups using the building for meetings, events, and other social activities increases, so does the need for space. The growth is good and this level of activity enriches our community and generates revenue. However, it cannot be sustained without dramatic improvements in functionality of the building. Today, our overall mission and the ability to attract more people to our organizations are hampered. The additional space in the proposed extension will make it possible to have a new multifunctional room that could be used for meetings as well as serve as a library and a reading lounge, a secure exhibition room or a small movie theater or TV lounge. The Polish School as well as many other groups would benefit from this additional space.

PH Association membership was shrinking in the 1990s but for the last 5 years it is on the upswing, growing by about 9% since 2003. At the same time membership in other groups such as the Seattle-Gdynia Sister City Association (SGSCA), the PH Foundation and the UW Polish Studies Endowment Fund Committee is growing. Polish immigrants have always been membership base of PHA and, barring a major disaster in Europe, this base is expected to dwindle. The future of the Polish Home will be assured only when our membership base embraces all-Americans; that is when there is a successful transition from a primarily Polish immigrant community to a primarily Polish-American community. This process has already started with emergence of SGSCA in 1993 and is the best way to go.

To remain a vital and vibrant community hub, the Polish Home needs to be a modern facility able to support a variety of functions and groups.

Hence, the building needs to be expanded and remodeled in order to attract more Polish-Americans and Americans interested in Polish culture and to shift the membership base. That’s clearly where the future is.

It may seem like adding an elevator is a luxury, however, there are practical and solid reasons for installing an elevator as part of the project. First, having an elevator will reduce the cost and time it takes to move items from the first floor to the second floor, particularly food and equipment and opens additional storage space at the third floor. Second, any improvement to the building will also require us to bring the building up to the code. Not having a disabled access while opening our events and activities to the public is against the current laws based on the Americans with Disabilities Act. The cost of meeting these requirements by installing a hydraulic elevator is about $45,000 while the benefits are incalculable for the number of groups and activities the PH sponsors. Third, the addition of an elevator will make the building more attractive as a rental facility due to convenient access to the upper hall which in turn should generate more revenue.

A loan is not necessary if enough donors pledge their support. As pledges can be spread out in increments over up to 5 years, it might be necessary to take out a loan covered by pledges to speed up construction. As income generated by the Polish Home would not be enough to pay off any significant debt, the construction will start only when the pledges are sufficient to see the project to a successful finish.

Rebuilding of the stage upstairs was part of Phase II of the Master Plan scheduled for later. However, in 2007 PHA recognized a need to do it earlier. The current plan is to do remodeling of the stage independent of the Expansion Project. While rebuilding the stage improves the functionality of the upper hall, much, much more is needed to improve the functionality of the Polish Home as the whole in a significant way.

At our current level of income from events and activities, such as the annual bazaars, Polish Home generates a positive cash flow in the range of $20,000 - $30,000 a year after operation costs and regular maintenance. This allows for a financial buffer supporting bigger maintenance and remodeling projects, a rainy day fund etc. In fact, this in itself is a much bigger cushion than is needed to absorb the new maintenance costs.

PHA is a non-profit organization and does not pay property taxes for the building, so this part will not change. Membership dues are a minor part of PHA revenue (about 8%). As square footage is expected to increase by 30% and a commensurate increase in insurance and maintenance cost is expected; additionally, the elevator maintenance is estimated at $350 per quarter. These costs can be offset in the following ways. Improvements, including an elevator, will increase the number of events and number of people who could attend them and thereby increase the revenue. Rental revenue will improve from a much more modern and attractive facility, as we can expect more requests for rentals even at higher prices. A new way to generate revenue is to add art exhibitions including the sale of art with commission. In the past, lack of secure space made these exhibits impossible, despite frequent proposals from artists. An exhibit of this kind, with pastels priced $300 to $500 and commission of 30%, can easily generate revenue for PHA. The possibilities are endless once we have the dedicated space.

This is a maintenance issue that is being dealt with through the PH maintenance fund. The structural integrity of the foundation was inspected by a structural engineering company in 2006 with supplemental inspection in 2007. Their final report recommends two things: 1) woodwork: adding a cross-beam and replacing some joists in the crawlspace; as of fall 2007, the PH is seeking a contractor to do this work 2) partial fill in: using “shotcrete” encasement to strengthen the existing sloped embankments of the foundation footing; this would be done in early 2008. Also, as part of the proposed new addition, the existing front wall of the building will be reinforced to serve as a “shear wall” and will be “under-pinned” with a new reinforced concrete foundation wall, meeting current building code requirements.

FAQ updated Feb 7, 2008