The building occupied by International House of Philadelphia turns 32 years old this year -- and with an extra $5 million in its pocket, the organization can finally pay for a long-awaited face-lift.
Shortly after former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge announced a $2.7 million grant to International House from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program in July 2000, Trustee Emeritus and former House Board Chairman Bruce Mainwaring matched that sum, thereby making the largest individual donation in the house's history.
Mainwaring -- currently a member of International House's Center Board, which controls the organization's real estate -- said that he felt compelled to make the generous contribution because the Commonwealth grant was not enough to cover the much needed renovations.
"I also made the donation with the idea of challenging other donors to make a third grant, to triple the original amount," Mainwaring said. "The House is worthy of that.... It's been a very well-managed place."
International House, located at 3701 Chestnut Street, provides housing for about 1000 American and international students -- with roots in more than 80 countries -- attending over 30 of the Philadelphia area's colleges and universities. Although it is technically unaffiliated with the University, nearly half of its residents are Penn students.
With temporarily restricted net assets from last year totaling over $5 million -- a massive increase from Fiscal Year 2000's amount of $150,000 -- and a 12-month fundraising goal of $2.7 million, International House plans to accumulate a nucleus fund of $8.1 million, allotting $6.5 million to address necessary structural repairs and $1.6 million to help build its endowment.
The organization, founded in 1910, also sponsors a continuous stream of public concerts, film festivals, lectures and other cultural events featuring artists and speakers from around the world.
International House has been at its current location since 1970 and because the building -- which offers 14 floors of housing and 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a 450-seat theater -- is more than 30 years old, a comprehensive restoration is in order. The renovations are projected to take two to three years to complete and will include new roofing, new carpets and virtually everything in between.
In addition to basic renewal, International House also hopes to make the building more eye-catching to passers-by and attractive to visitors, in hopes that the organization can draw larger crowds to its events and more interest in its residential opportunities.
"We're looking to increase visibility and communicate what we have to offer," House President Ellen Davis said. "While working on our various renovations, that goal will always be in our heads."
With the influx of funding, International House has already added a new study center and replaced its boiler and plans to start reroofing within the next month. More intrusive work will be done during transition periods and school breaks to keep inconvenience to its residents at a minimum.
International House's restoration is especially timely in light of the current international turmoil, as the organization's mission is to bring people from different countries and cultures together to promote mutual tolerance and respect.
"What we do is more important than ever before," Davis said. "So we want more people to know about it and more people to become a part of it."
