Ohio based KBK Enterprises shared a flyer ahead of Wednesday’s community meeting appearing to depict the Germantown YWCA’s “Women of Germantown” mural with three men instead of women, and altering the appearance of the remaining women on the mural.

City Councilwoman Cindy Bass shared the post on Facebook, which notified the community of the meeting. However Friends of the YWCA members feel they were not given enough notice. 

KBK received redevelopment rights for the nearly 112-year-old building back in 2016, but they have not yet made any significant progress. 

Due to councilmanic prerogative, Bass effectively has the final say over which developer receives the project, sticking with KBK throughout the last ten years. 

Attendees complained that the post went up earlier in October on a Facebook story, which disappears after 24 hours, with the date of the meeting listed incorrectly as Tuesday, Oct. 28, instead of Wednesday, Oct. 28. Bass reposted the flyer two days before the meeting with the correct date. 

Bass disputed this at the meeting, saying that posts about the meeting went up 30 days beforehand. 

In a written statement to the Local, Bass said, “I recognize the significant community interest in the Germantown YWCA project and the importance of ensuring residents have accurate information and meaningful opportunities to participate.”

She added, “Regarding the meeting flyer, KBK prepared the promotional materials. The meeting announcement was initially posted on Instagram and Facebook 30 days in advance. Once our office identified the incorrect date on the flyer, it was corrected immediately. There was absolutely no intention to create confusion or limit community participation. We understand the importance of clear communication and will continue to use multiple outreach channels to ensure residents receive timely and accurate information. In addition to social media, future outreach will include lit drops and direct mailers to constituents.”

The meeting was originally slated to last an hour, but was extended 45 minutes at the end. Keith Key, head of KBK, announced that the project will now focus on senior affordable housing. His current plan features 51 senior apartments priced between 20% to 60% of the area’s median income. 

Key also announced that KBK applied for Low-Income Housing Tax credits in June, but they are still waiting on approval. 

Friends of the Y members, including Renee Cunningham, Suzanne Ponsen, Patricia Burks, and Ann Doley all expressed frustration with the meeting, feeling there was no real update or progress. 

“This flyer is exactly what the last 10 years have been like. No notice. The date's wrong. The QR code doesn't work. The website's down. And to add insult to injury, the mural is full of AI-generated cartoons,” Renee Cunningham, executive director of Center in the Park, told the Local. “It's in a senior-heavy community, with Center in the Park being on one side, and Maple Village being on the other side. Not only is two days' notice absolutely just flat out disrespectful, but it's also inconsiderate of the population.” 

KBK’s flyer showed a rendering of the YWCA with the mural on the side. In the rendering, all of the women in the mural had their appearance altered, with three of them being changed to men. 

The “Women of Germantown” mural, completed in 2001 by artist David McShane, depicts six prominent women from the Germantown area.

It includes: Maggie Kuhn, founder of the Gray Panthers, Dinah, a formerly enslaved woman who protected Stenton Manor from the British, Sarah Ward McLean, who helped build the area’s first YMCA, abolitionist Louisa May Alcott, Sadie Tanner Alexander, the first African American woman to become a member of the Pennsylvania Bar, and Clarice Gamble Herbert, the first African American woman to assume the directorship of a YMCA. 

Bass said, “With respect to the rendering, our office did approach KBK about the change in the mural's depiction. We were informed that the image was simply a conceptual rendering and not an official design or representation of the final project. The mural will retain its original depiction of prominent women in Germantown’s history.”

Aside from the rendering, attendees also felt the developer was unprepared for the meeting. Consistent technical difficulties and a lack of new information on the project frustrated Friends of the Y members. 

“That speaks to the incompetence that we're dealing with … it's so offensive, and it's so not understanding the history that that building has,” Patricia Burks, a Friends of the Y member, told the Local. “I would expect a 10th grader to know how to run a Zoom meeting and to get everyone online, especially the principal speaker. You know there were a number of occasions where his participation was hampered by inefficient knowledge of how to run a Zoom meeting.” 

KBK’s team could not share the presentation during the meeting, but promised to send it to the attendees afterwards. Attendees asked Key to appear on camera during the meeting, but he was unable to do so. 

Cunningham and other Friends of the Y members said they feel many of the questions went unanswered during the meeting. 

The Local obtained a copy of the chat, with attendees asking questions about the timeline of the project and details on potential funding. 

“As for the meeting format, I want to clarify that the meeting was extended by an additional 30 minutes specifically to allow time for community questions and discussion. In fact, we were willing to meet for an additional 45 minutes but ended sooner because all questions raised during the meeting were answered,” Bass said. “I appreciate that residents have a strong interest in this project and I remain committed to making sure they have opportunities to ask questions, express concerns, and receive information as the project moves forward.”