Counting down to the beginning

2012 kicks off our countdown to breaking ground at Watts House Project’s headquarters and community hub, the Platform.  Rehabilitating 100 year old houses is no easy feat, and taking stock of what we’ve accomplished is important to outlining the next phase of the construction process. So far, WHP has successfully repaid the loan for the Platform property; an architect, project manager and contractor are finalizing scope of work; we attained an energy and asbestos assessment of the property; and discussions we've kicked off discussions about future programming.

In anticipation of the completion of our headquarters in 2012, we sat down with WHP’s Managing Director, Will Sheffie, to get his thoughts about the project.  We asked Will what impact he wanted the Platform to have in the Watts community and, in a larger context, the relationship between community service and the arts.

“The Watts Community has many wonderful and established resources that serve the community," Will replied. "The Platform will serve to boost the resources in the area as well as provide a model for community vitalization. The Platform will serve as another example of how art can be used as vehicle to re imagine space and be an agent for social change.”

We also asked Will to share a fond memory or two about 2011:

“There are a number of great memories that I have of Watts House Project over the past year. The children of the community invoke some of the best memories. I really enjoy when the kids...are engaged in art projects, as well as discussions about their community and the important role they play in making their neighborhood and world a better place.”

In February, we will have more great news to report!