A downtown Syracuse landmark built in 1917 as a private club for college-educated men begins a new chapter today as a hub for local charitable groups.
The former University Club building at 431 E. Fayette St. has been transformed into the Central New York Philanthropy Center, a new home and meeting place for nonprofits. The Central New York Community Foundation, the area’s largest endowed philanthropic foundation, bought the three-story Georgian Revival building in 2009 for $1 million and has spent $3.5 million renovating it.
The building will serve as the foundation’s headquarters. It is leasing space in the building to other nonprofits. Tenants lined up so far include the Junior League of Syracuse, the Allyn Foundation and the Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York.
The Central New York Community Foundation moved in last week and will officially dedicate the building at a ceremony today. The foundation, which had leased space in the Chimes Building at 500 S. Salina St., expects the new location to increase its visibility. “This creates a storefront presence in a prominent place downtown,” said Peter A. Dunn, the foundation’s president and chief executive officer. “It also raises the visibility of philanthropy and giving in general in the community.”
The foundation began looking into the possibility of buying a building two years ago. Community foundations in other cities such as Rochester, Providence, R.I. and Grand Rapids, Mich. have bought buildings and turned them into philanthropy centers, Dunn said.
When the former University Club building went on the market, it seemed perfectly suited for the foundation, according to Dunn. “The building speaks to legacy and stewardship,” Dunn said. “It speaks to sustainability in terms of recycling a historic building for current purposes. It allows us to convene and bring folks together.”
Continued at syracuse.com
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