BUILDING PURCHASE NEWS!!
To the 12-Step Recovery Community:
The Warrenton Meeting Place (TWMP) Board of Directors has entered into a contract with the Town of Warrenton to purchase the building at 26 3rd St. in Warrenton, which the Town put on the market to raise money for a new Town Hall. Now, we need your help.
Under the contract, if we cannot raise the funds needed for purchase of the building that houses TWMP, the Town is free to sell it to another buyer. Our goal is to keep TWMP’s doors open as a safe place for the meetings that are essential to 12-Step Recovery.
Consequently, we are kicking off a capital campaign to raise the funds necessary to buy the building. The goal is to raise $350,000 by the end of January 2021. The funds will purchase the building, cover inspection, legal and other expenses related to the purchase, and make needed improvements, including handicapped access and window replacement.
The Board must acknowledge that this is a particularly difficult time for TWMP financially. Given an alternative, we would not have chosen this moment to purchase our building. The ongoing COVID virus restrictions on public gatherings have limited the size of our usual meetings and drastically reduced the funds contributed by the 12-Step Groups that use the facility. Our need for funding has increased at precisely the time that our income has decreased.
If we all contribute what we can to get through this extraordinary period, TWMP will be in a better position to help others gain the strength in recovery that the members of 12-step recovery groups meeting at TWMP have enjoyed.
Donations in any amount are welcome. They can be made via check to The Warrenton Meeting Place, P.O. Box 3103, Warrenton, VA 20188, or via the PayPal account listed on the twmp.org website and our Facebook page, Friends of TWMP. For those who prefer to make a wire transfer of funds, please contact Katy B., our board chair, with a Facebook message; or Beth A., who is heading up our capital campaign, at 540-270-8138.
TWMP is a 501(C)3 non-profit corporation formed to acquire, manage, and maintain the facility. All contributions will be anonymous, and all donor information will be confidential. Contributions are tax deductible, and receipts can be provided if needed.
Thank you in advance for your generous donations. With your help, TWMP will continue making Warrenton 12-Step Recovery available for years to come.
Sincerely,
The Warrenton Meeting Place Board of Directors
FAQ UPDATE
THE WARRENTON MEETING PLACE IS BUYING THE BUILDING!!
On Sept. 14, the TWMP Board of Directors (BOD) entered a contract with the Town of Warrenton to buy the building at 26 S. 3rd St. A campaign to raise $350,000 from the 12-Step Community is underway.
WHY IS THE BOD TAKING THIS ACTION?
The mission of The Warrenton Meeting Place is to provide a safe and clean meeting
space dedicated solely for the use of 12-Step Recovery Groups. The town owns the property, and until now has leased it on favorable terms to the TWMP BOD as a subsidized venue for 12-Step Recovery meetings. Recently the Town purchased a building for the new Town Hall and is selling several assets to raise funds. The building at 26 3rd St (TWMP) is one of those assets. After in-depth discussions with Town officials, the BOD decided to buy the TWMP building in accordance with our mission of ensuring a long-term home for Recovery meetings.
WHAT HAPPENS IF TWMP DOES NOT BUY THE BUILDING?
Our current lease expires in 2022. However, a clause in the lease allows the Town to
terminate the lease with 30-days’ notice at any time for just cause or convenience. If we cannot raise the necessary funds, the Town is free to sell the Meeting Place to another buyer. There is no guarantee the new owner would negotiate a new lease to allow TWMP to continue to occupy the building on affordable terms. Given the downtown location of the building, it is likely that another buyer would look to leverage it for commercial purposes and not as a facility for recovery in Warrenton.
HOW SOON COULD THE BUILDING BE SOLD?
The contract entered on Sept. 14, 2020, required a $5,000 deposit, which the BOD paid from existing funds. That money will be refundable during a 60-day due-diligence period. If due diligence on the building is acceptable, the BOD will post a $10,000 deposit that is also refundable for a period of time, should the BOD be unable to raise the funds necessary to purchase the building. We expect the deal to close in 2021, provided all contingencies are met.
HOW IS THE BOD GOING TO PAY FOR THE PURCHASE?
The BOD has launched a capital funding campaign within the 12-Step Community for this purpose. Although it exists for the use of 12-Step Groups, TWMP is not affiliated with AA or any other recovery organization. It is a state-chartered non-profit corporation that functions with its own resources.
WHO CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAPITAL FUND CAMPAIGN?
Under current TWMP donation policy, the BOD is focusing on individual contributions from current 12-Step Group members. There are also options for contributions from charitable foundations that provide grants to nonprofit organizations like TWMP. The PATH Foundation already has issued a grant totaling almost $75,000, which will be used for repairs, improvements, maintenance, and other costs associated with the sale through the capital campaign. In no case is the BOD looking to solicit or receive funding from outside commercial organizations. Donation forms are available HERE or on the FORMS tab. Also, it is on the counter at the Meeting Place. In keeping with the 12-Step tradition of anonymity, all donor information will be kept confidential. Receipts can be provided if needed.
WHAT IS THE FUNDING GOAL FOR THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN?
Our capital campaign goal is to raise $350,000. The purchase price is $209,000, less credit for improvements to the building already made or planned if the sale goes through. The initial estimate of those improvements is $20,000, for a net price of $189,000. In addition to the building purchase price and the cost of improvements, there will be real estate expenses for title surveys, legal advice, building inspections and fees. Once TWMP is the building owner there will also be expenses we do not pay now including taxes, utilities and building maintenance and repairs. There are also capital improvements related to American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, safety, and other improvements, such as new windows.
The BOD is looking to the capital campaign to provide enough funding to pay for the building purchase, at least the first year of operation expenses, necessary repairs, and capital improvements. The situation is complicated by the ongoing COVID pandemic, which struck just as the town and BOB opened discussions on the sale. The facility was completely closed at the beginning of the outbreak and has only recently reopened for meetings. Not all Groups have resumed meetings in the facility, and in-person attendance at others is down. As a result, normal income is below pre-pandemic levels and probably will be for some time. At present Group meeting contributions are the only source of funds to operate the facility and pay rent to the town.
WHAT CAN INDIVIDUAL 12 STEP GROUPS AND MEMBERS DO TO HELP?
Please be as generous as you can in supporting both the capital funding campaign and
in 7th -Tradition contributions for meetings at TWMP. All capital campaign contributions
are tax deductible. Since our founding in 2012, TWMP has provided a safe, clean, and secure space for many 12-Step Groups to meet. If you value continuing to have a facility dedicated for anonymous 12-Step meetings, please help TWMP meet this new challenge and ensure our long-term future supporting Recovery in the area.
HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?
To date the capital campaign has raised $137,706.50 toward the goal of $350,000. Please check this site for updates on fundraising and follow the checklist below on progress made to meet the legal and other requirements under the contract to complete the purchase.
WHO IS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS?
Katy B., chair; Bea E., vice chair; Marc W., treasurer; Fred B., secretary; Charlie B., operations; Ron H., facility; Richard R., facility; Bob W., development; Mike S., information technology; Frank M., communications; Beth A., fundraising; David B., member; Rich M., member. All are available to answer other questions you may have.
CHECKLIST
Here is a checklist describing the actions taken to complete purchase of the TWMP building, with deadlines and status updates.
ACTION DEADLINE STATUS
Contract/legal
Signed contract
($209,000, less improvements set at closing) 9/14/2020 Done
Initial $5,000 deposit 9/14/2020 Done
Additional $10,000 deposit after 60 days 11/16//2020
Title Search – 60 days 11/16/2020
Tenant status (Experience Old Town, town storage upstairs) 11/16/2020
Certificate of Occupancy 11/16/2020
Contingency – funding complete 1/12/2021
Contingency – Final zoning approval by Town TBD
Settlement – 60 days after contingencies 6/11/2021
Physical plant
Survey 10/30/2029 Done
Environmental study and testing 11/16/2020
Building inspection TBD
Electrical
Mechanical
Plumbing
Structural