Waldorf School project gets $250K boost from state program

Developer Ken Weinstein recently received funding that will help cover overhauling the last of four former St. Peter’s Episcopal Church buildings currently being converted into the independent Waldorf School of Philadelphia.

The $250,000 tax credit, awarded by the state Department of Community and Economic Development, is part of a new multimillion-dollar program to encouraging historical-site redevelopment.

It’s a program that offers a lot of potential for historic sites in the Germantown neighborhood, he added.

Tangible plans

Weinstein told NewsWorks that the award will allow the building to be repurposed for additional classroom space, which would not have been possible otherwise.

He learned of the award while weighing whether to include the building in the project two weeks ago.

“The timing was almost perfect,” he said.

The back story

Currently located at the New Covenant campus in Mt. Airy, the Waldorf School had continually expanded for most of its 17-year existence.

The space had a 200-student capacity from pre-K to eighth grade, though, so the school showed interest in moving into the St. Peter’s property in 2011.

The 5,100-square foot St. Peter’s church was designed and built between 1873 and 1883 but had sat vacant for years.

The $6 million project additionally received a $1 million federal tax credit from the National Park Service. Weinstein said he is also pursuing a grant from the Philadelphia Water Department for stormwater management.

The move-in date is scheduled for summer 2015.