Singer Place: Stabilizing Structures, Building Community
By Michael Jehn
One of the great concerted efforts among advocates in Wilkinsburg is a multi-faceted approach to boosting residency rates in the community. This means increasing the volume of occupiable property not just through new construction but, importantly, by stabilizing and preserving the existing housing stock: slowing structural decay, rescuing vacant houses from the brink of demolition, and reversing the effects of chronic blight, all while promoting Wilkinsburg as a safe, supportive community whose residents believe in a better future. It means guaranteeing affordability for renters while growing home ownership. It means reclaiming and reappropriating vacant spaces, sometimes by joining such lots to adjacent ones with occupied structures. These efforts drive change one property at a time.
The area of Wilkinsburg known as the greater Singer Place neighborhood is, at once, one of the most blighted—with nearly 50% vacancy, including Upper Center and High School—and representative of some of the finest historic residential architecture in the borough. The stately Sleeping Octopus at 1300 Wood Street, for example, formerly known as the Yingling Mansion, has become a local hub for arts events and music, sustainable gardens, community gatherings, and private events. Two other notable historic structures, the John F. Singer Mansion at 1318 Singer Place and the adjacent large home at 1314 Singer Place—both part of the same estate—, have received significant attention in recent years, with critical gap funding provided by Strong Neighborhoods to help move the homes toward occupancy. In fact, since 2018, Singer Place residents and stakeholders have invested over $1 million in private funds to stabilize and renovate key vacant properties.
Few people are as familiar with the challenges facing Wilkinsburg’s aging housing stock and the race to save vacant structures than Brian Sieffert who, along with his partner Nicole Santella, has been passionately contributing his time, expertise, and leadership to a better Wilkinsburg (and who was instrumental in transforming the Sleeping Octopus into what it is today). Sieffert quotes The Grateful Dead song Help On the Way as an inspiration guiding the mission: “Without love in the dream, it will never come true.” Indeed, without a deeply ingrained love and unwavering personal commitment, revitalization is barely more than a dream. Sieffert explains that salvaging a vacant property and bringing it back to a safe, occupiable state is a multi-step process: first comes stabilization, or “mothballing,” effectively halting further damage from the elements; next comes the installation of basic utilities like electricity, plumbing, and a clear sewer line; finally, occupancy, with a code-compliant home ready to receive residents who can then complete final finishes and interior touches to their liking.
To help support some of the heavy lifting work on multiple properties, the Singer Place working group rented a lift for two months with funding assistance provided by the WCDC. The lift was heavily used—almost daily, except in pouring rain—to clear hazardous trees and to work on roofs in the neighborhood. It was also utilized to repaint the front entryway and replace wood at the Christian Church of Wilkinsburg on Wallace Avenue.
Notes Sieffert, “With gratitude to WCDC Strong Neighborhoods for the Singer Place allocation, the Singer Place Committee successfully completed vital roof repairs and tree pruning, and necessary gap funding for occupancy, ensuring the continued viability of several properties until future resources become available. As they navigate the complexities of site control, optimism fuels their pursuit of continued partnerships with nonprofits. Their goal is not ownership for its own sake, but to cultivate stability and growth, breathing new life into homes where families can thrive.”
Steve Hellner-Burris, Chief Operating Officer of Hosanna House, a local nonprofit providing vulnerable members of the community with quality programs and essential services, is hopeful for the future of the Singer Place neighborhood and for Wilkinsburg as a whole. Among many other initiatives, Hosanna House works with a variety of youth on training and projects that include gardening, property cleanouts and demolition. Young people are provided opportunities to learn how to use tools, and for one week each summer, 14- to 16-year-olds are paid for their work as they grow their skillsets. Hosanna House has cosponsored an event called Summer Art Jam at The Sleeping Octopus and maintains a cheerful, well-maintained garden across from their headquarters on Wallace Avenue. Hellner-Burris notes that the Wilkinsburg Pollinator Garden Group may have an opportunity to partner with the garden, potentially growing vegetables and native pollinator plants in a space that sometimes hosts upwards of 120 kids per day.
Hosanna House connected with Strong Neighborhoods through the planned ACTION-Housing Penn-Lincoln Apartment project, occupying the former site of the Penn-Lincoln Hotel, and is partnering on an affordable townhouse project consisting of two three-unit buildings planned for Wallace Avenue. Hosanna House will co-own the first floor of Penn-Lincoln with ACTION-Housing. Hellner-Burris notes that he’s thrilled to witness people staying in the community and working hard to improve it. In neighborhoods including Singer Place, Park Triangle, and Hamnett Place, while grant funding and nonprofit partnerships provide a critical role in redevelopment, it’s the commitment of private citizens bringing money together to make their neighborhoods better. In short, it must be the people fighting for change if the community is to grow and thrive.
Brian Sieffert reflects, “Through their commitment, the Singer Place Strong Neighborhoods Committee embodies the transformative power of community action. They are not merely restoring buildings; they are nurturing a vision for a brighter future, where generations can dwell in harmony, united by purpose and belonging. In the face of adversity, their dedication stands as a testament to the profound impact of collective effort and perseverance.”