Throughout its 115-year legacy, Winnetka Community House has served as more than just a recreation center and performing arts space, and more recently, neighbor to the iconic ‘Home Alone’ house, located roughly across the street at 671 Lincoln Ave, and featured in the beloved 1990 holiday classic.
For residents like Neil Golden, it’s the place that’s housed some of his life’s most pivotal moments.
“Thirty-seven years ago, almost to the day, my wife Lynn and I were married right here. All four of our children, at various stages, participated in different sporting events here,” Golden said to a packed room of supporters at the organization’s Sept. 29 gathering.
“And in this very room, nine years ago, we celebrated my dad’s passing, and it was a celebration of life. So when I think about all the different ways the Community House has touched my life, it’s a special place.”
In order to ensure it lasts another century-plus, Golden, who now sits as chair of the nonprofit’s capital campaign committee, said the historic multi-purpose space demands a revitalization.
That effort comes in the form of “Always Home,” a new $10 million fundraising bid to help finance renovations to the oldest part of the campus, the Legacy Building, according to the organization’s leadership team.
Community House President and CEO Amy Skalinder told members at the Tuesday event this will include updates to its primary performing arts space, theater gallery and Pine Street entrance.
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Patrons can expect new flooring, flexible seating and modernized lighting and sound systems. Stage and green room improvements and new HVAC and electrical systems for the existing theater are also on the agenda, officials said.
The theater’s gallery is slated to have its lobby space expanded to include a new fireside meeting place for guests to convene and its Pine Street entrance rebuilt with warmer decor and a new ADA-compliant entryway with weather-protective portico, renovation plans for the space detail.
Additional improvements include an updated kitchen for special events and receptions, new windows throughout the 620 Lincoln Avenue property, refreshed safety systems and modernized bathrooms.
“What’s most important is that we continue to evolve to meet the needs of today’s community, and that’s exactly what we’re doing in this campaign,” Skalinder told Pioneer Press.
Officials for the organization said Tuesday that more than $7.2 million of the $10 million fundraising goal has already been raised in private donations, in part thanks to a $2 million contribution from resident Carol Hansen and her late husband Jim Hansen.
The $2.8 million that remains will be primarily sought out through public donations, officials said.
“It’s a little piece of magic,” Hansen voiced about the Community House. “You can go to a class. You can learn to cook. You can get your dog trained.”
Originally founded in 1911 by Winnetka Congregational Church, the Community House became an independent nonprofit organization in 1932, two years after the building partially burned to the ground in a fire, according to Skalinder.
Despite its religious roots, the space was never used for church activities, she added.
“It was always meant to be a community service, a gathering place…We’re not funded by taxes, we’re not part of the park district. We are our own unique place that fills a really unique role in this community and we’ve been a lot of different things to people.”
The Community House now offers residents access to fitness facilities, including a full-service recreation center with strength and cardio equipment, youth and early childhood programming, performing arts opportunities for both children and adults, enrichment classes and room rentals.
Skalinder said the Community House does not have an expected start date for the renovation project, as construction will depend on how quickly the remaining funds can be raised.
“We also want to work with our contractor to figure out how we can do this in the best phased way,” Skalinder said, “[so] that we’re not totally disrupting our operations because we don’t want to shut down, right?”
Leaders said they remain optimistic about the house’s ability to raise the needed funds.