The Connelly House grand opening was held on May 17, 2011.  The BWA-designed building is now home for 79 chronically homeless people, occupying the site of the old St. John the Evangelist parish house.

Mayor Michael Nutter was on hand for the ribbon cutting along with several other dignitaries, including Representative Chakah Fattah and Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.   Morrie Zimmerman, AIA, BWA senior associate and project manager, narrated the green roof portion of the building tour.

Three programs share the new 64,000 square foot building, Project HOME, Bethesda Project and the St. John the Evangelist Parish offices.  The tight site, construction budget, the goal of achieving LEED silver and a complex program of different uses made the design particularly challenging.  Connelly House, located just two blocks from both City Hall and the Convention Center, was made possible by the participation of many funders, principal among them being the Connelly Foundation, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation and several city and state agencies.

BWA’s design for this project was recognized with the AIA Philadelphia 2010 Community Design Award.