TWMP Building Purchase FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
IS THE WARRENTON MEETING PLACE (TWMP) BUYING THE BUILDING AT 26 S 3RD STREET?
Yes, the TWMP Board of Directors (BOD) has entered into a contract with the Town of Warrenton to buy the building. 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.
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 recently
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 has entered into a contract 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. 15, 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.
WHO CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAPITAL FUND CAMPAIGN?
In keeping with our current donation policy, we are focusing on individual contributions
from current 12-Step Group members. There are also options for contributions from local
charitable foundations that provide grants to nonprofit organizations like TWMP. In no
case is the BOD looking to solicit or receive funding from outside commercial organizations.
WHAT IS THE FUNDING GOAL FOR THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN?
Our capital campaign goal is to raise $350,000. In addition to the building purchase price, 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
we hope to make to the facility.
We are looking to the capital campaign to provide enough funding to allow us to pay for the building purchase, the first year of operation expenses, necessary repairs, and capital improvements. The situation is complicated by the ongoing COVID pandemic. 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, our normal income is below pre-pandemic levels and probably will be for some time. The only operating income we receive is from Group meeting contributions.
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 dedicated space for many 12-Step Groups to meet. If you value continuing to have a dedicated facility for 12-Step meetings, please help TWMP meet this new challenge and ensure our long-term future supporting Recovery in the area.