A judge has granted an emergency request from Hill House Association to sell off its last two properties and return $900,000 to two local foundations as it continues the process of dissolving its operations.
Allegheny County Common Court Pleas Judge Michael McCarthy said in an order that the historic nonprofit in the Hill District can sell the Kaufmann Center on Centre Avenue, and a former senior citizens service center that the association operated on Bedford Avenue.
Hill House filed an emergency motion last week seeking court approval for the sales because it is running out of money to pay off its debts.
ACH Clear Pathways, a nonprofit that provides arts programming to disadvantaged youth, will buy the Kaufmann Center for $1.58 million.
Neighborhood Resilience Project, a nonprofit that provides community supports to low-income families, has a deal to buy the former senior center for $250,000.
The judge’s order stipulated that $515,000 of the proceeds of the building sales be set aside to pay off pension costs for Hill House employees.
The order also allows Hill House to dissolve its endowment fund by returning $400,000 to the McCune Foundation and $500,000 to the Hillman Foundation. Those philanthropies had contributed to a 2007 capital fundraising campaign for the Hill House.
Hillman will use the $500,000 to assist ACH Clear Pathways with its acquisition of the Kaufmann Center, according to court documents.
Any remaining assets in the endowment would be transferred to a new fund to be used for maintenance and repairs to the Kaufmann Center, the court ordered.
That fund would be housed at the Poise Foundation.
Hill House, once a hub of social services and cultural activities, earlier this year said it would dissolve and sell off all of its real estate holdings because of a mounting debt load.
Its largest holding was the Centre Heldman Plaza, which it developed for a Shop ‘n Save supermarket. The grocery store closed in March, and the property is now owned by the city Urban Redevelopment Authority.
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First Published: December 10, 2019, 12:30 p.m.