'Everything I thought it would be': East Vandergrift school revived as senior housing

It’s a new dawn for the old East Vandergrift Elementary School following its conversion into Morning Sun Senior Lofts.

The $17 million, 42-unit affordable housing complex recently welcomed its first tenants. It came after more than five years of planning, design and construction, transforming the historic building from a crumbling eyesore to a community centerpiece.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday brought together about 50 residents and officials to celebrate a new chapter for the 91-year-old former school.

“Morning Sun Senior Lofts is a shining example of people working together for progress and how a small group of people can make a difference in the lives of their citizens,” said East Vandergrift Council President Christopher Zelonka.

Development was led by Pivotal Housing Partners out of Ohio with support from Greensburg-based nonprofit Homes Build Hope.

About 80% of the project was funded through the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.

As the managing member, Pivotal will handle day-to-day operations.

In addition, Westmoreland County’s Department of Planning and Economic Development, as well as its Redevelopment Authority and Lank Bank, were heavily involved in the project.

William Kerr, the school building’s last principal, also played a key, unofficial role in the early stages by coalescing borough and county officials around a redevelopment effort.

“I had many flashbacks of the wonderful experiences I had with faculty, staff and, of course, students,” he said, reflecting on his tour of his former workplace Friday. “It was a great community school, and to be able to preserve it … was pretty remarkable.”

East Vandergrift Elementary School closed in 1989. It went on to serve as a church for some years but was eventually abandoned.

By 2020, the building along McKinley Avenue was condemned and its tan brick facade seriously compromised.

That’s when Trey Barbour, senior vice president of development for Pivotal Housing Partners, first visited. Despite a leaky roof and some general disrepair, he said, the building’s sturdy craftsmanship and simple layout made it an attractive target.

“They don’t always all turn out this way,” noted Brian Lawrence, executive director of the county Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank. “We definitely overcame a lot of challenges throughout this project.”

Already, about a quarter of the complex is filled.

Dora Gibson was the first person to sign a lease at Morning Sun Senior Lofts, looking to downsize from her home in Vandergrift after her husband died.

The project came to her attention on a recent visit to the East Vandergrift Senior Center, just a few doors down.

“It’s just a great building to live in,” she said. “It’s everything I thought it would be.”

The borough is working to bring in a convenience store and establish a regular Westmoreland Transit Authority bus route through town, according to Councilwoman Karen Virostek.

The building is limited to residents 62 and older making 60% or less of the area median income. It features one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as a lounge and community room with a kitchen and dining area.

For more information, visit pivotal-communities.com.