The History of TRC
1913
The Wabash YMCA opens, the first YMCA in the Midwest to serve people of color.
To learn more why the Wabash Y is a historic landmark, click here.
1969
The Historic Wabash YMCA closes and falls into disrepair.
1982
The YMCA sells the History YMCA to neighboring St. Thomas Episcopal church for $1
1992
St. Thomas Episcopal, Apostolic Faith Church, Quinn Chapel AME, and St. Elizabeth Catholic church form an ecumenical partnership to save the Wabash Y from demolition, naming their partnership “The Renaissance Corporation.”
Led by Patricia Abrams, these partners raised nearly $11 million to restore the building.
2000
The Former Wabash Y reopens as “Renaissance Apartments and Fitness for Life Center” with 101 units of affordable housing and wrap-around supportive services for formerly homeless adults.
2007
TRC launches Bronzeville Green Organic Landscaping, a social enterprise that trains hard-to-serve individuals in landscaping while promoting organic lawn care.
2010
Construction of Senior Village 1 is complete and opens to residents, with 71 units of affordable housing for low-income seniors.
The Near Future
TRC is working diligently to complete these two projects soon!
RAD2
This housing conversion will allow us to invest in remodeling Renaissance Apartments for the first time in 20 years and preserve affordability of the units for 15-20 years.
Senior Village 2
Working in partnership with Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly (HOME), Senior Village 2 will be an Intergenerational facility with special support for seniors raising grandchildren.