Getting Ready to Start St Stephen’s

The Michael Group and Episcopal Housing Corporation hosted a Kick-off Pizza Party last Thursday night at the St. Stephen’s Apartments. The party served as a way to get residents together and prepare them for the project. It was also a beautiful night (warm and sunny), to get everyone together to meet and mingle and get to know each other.

Dan McCarthy, Executive Director of Episcopal Housing Corporation and Michael Shacklette, President of The Michael Group talk together before the meeting starts. The partnership between EHC and TMG began on the Recovery Community Project and continues today.

The Michael Group’s Project Manager Jeff Hill, introduced the TMG staff, explained the logistics of the occupied rehab and then took questions from the residents. While the residents had lots of questions, they were all very excited about the work that would be done on their units.

After the meeting was over, the residents enjoyed pizza and dessert from Jays Deli and had a chance to talk to the project staff about the upcoming renovations.

We’re all looking forward to getting started on this exciting community project. Check back in the next couple weeks to see photos from the beginning of construction!

A Beautiful Day for the Ribbon Cutting Celebration at MonteVerde

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day for the ribbon cutting ceremony at MonteVerde. It wasn’t really a grand “re-opening” since the building was never closed (we worked with the tenants in place!). It was however a day to celebrate how far the project had come. When Greater Baltimore AHC purchased the building a few years ago, it was “a mess” (said one of the residents at yesterday’s opening). It was institutional feeling, with cinderblock walls and a lot of deferred maintenance. Despite the state of the building, the community of folks that lived there were a great, vibrant community.  Many of these fabulous residents had lived at MonteVerde since it opened 30 years ago. It was time their homes got an update.

Architect Hord Coplan Macht designed beautiful community spaces (hallways, lounges, clinic, living room, entryway) and redesigned the residents units so that they were more open, efficient and homey.

The Michael Group spent 14 months in the building renovating everything from the units and common spaces to the elevators and hvac units. The end result was a transformed MonteVerde. One you would not recognize. One that has been compared to a boutique hotel. It has finally become the home that the residents deserved.

Special thanks to everyone that helped make this project such a success including the Michael Group staff, all of our subcontractors, engineers and supplies, the development team and partners and Greater Baltimore AHC!

Enjoying the Day: David Hunter, Principal at Hord Coplan Macht, Sebastian Soriano, Superintendent for the Michael Group at Monte Verde and Michael Shacklette, President of the Michael Group.

Andrew Vincent, Executive Director of Greater Baltimore AHC and Tarek Saleh, Architect on Monte Verde for Hord Coplan Macht 

A great day for affordable housing: Housing Commissioner Graziano, City Council President Jack Young and Michael Shacklette, President of the Michael Group

 

Time to cut the ribbon

Thanks everyone! What a great project!

A Day of Celebration at the Druid Hill Y Family Center

 

The day finally arrived. A beautiful, sunny, warm day in West Baltimore. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake, Senator Verna Jones, Congressman Elijah Cummings and Orioles Outfielder Adam Jones all gathered in front of the Druid Hill Y Family Center-to witness and celebrate-it’s reopening.

 

For the past 3 months, volunteers have worked around the clock renovating the Druid Hill Y. As one of the oldest YMCA’s in the country at 117 years old, the Druid Hill had several deferred maintenance projects that were impacting the work that the staff was trying to do.

The Michael Group, along with Peristyle Design and team of dedicated volunteer subcontractors and suppliers were able to get the work done in just three short months. The work included installing a new gym floor, a new computer lab, a new teen area a new childcare area, and a new entryway. Corporate volunteers also spent several days cleaning up the community, planting flowers and plants and renovating an adjacent park area.

Mayor Rawlings Blake tours the new computer lab with Greg Phillips, the Druid Hill Y Center Director and John Hoey, President of the Y of Central Maryland.

As a token of appreciation, the folks at the Y presented the volunteer team with an engraved window on the front door of the Y commemorating the hard work they put into this project.

Dedication on the front door of the Druid Hill Y Family Center. 

What a wonderful day for everyone involved!

Michael Shacklette, President of the Michael Group Inc, Perry Savoy, Owner of Peristyle Design and Gary Moore, Vice President of Allstate Floors pose for a picture during the celebration.

Special thanks to everyone that donated their time and talent including the staff of the Michael Group Inc, Perry Savoy, Wilhelm Contractors, Allstate Flooring, Business Flooring, Silverblatt Electrical, Colossal Contractors, Bay Door and Hardware and Mahogany Inc.

To read more about the Druid Hill Y project check out the Baltimore Sun and the Afro!