County will allow non-profits to use Hannah building
By Scott Nicholson

The Watauga County commissioners made a formal commitment to the Hunger Coalition to allow the agency to use the Hannah Building as a non-profit community center.

After more than a year of negotiating, with a number of non-profits expressing interest in using a portion of the building, the commissioners voted Monday to let the Hunger Coalition move into the building as the first step in renovating the structure to house multiple agencies.

The building lies in the Bamboo Road area and formerly served as the county’s health department.

The county unsuccessfully tried for two years to sell the building before being approached by a number of local agencies.

The commissioners offered a 10-year lease, subject to drafting and approval by the county attorney, at $1 per year. The commissioners also agreed to provide minimal financial and maintenance support for several years to help get the initiative rolling.

Hunger Coalition director Compton Fortuna said other agencies had expressed interest in joining the center, but were reluctant because of all the uncertainties, most importantly up to $350,000 worth of repairs that may be needed within the next 10 years. The heating and ventilation system could need replacement, and a new roof would cost up to $100,000, which made county officials cautious about arrangements to fund the repairs. County manager Rocky Nelson said, as budget officer, he recommended the county not be liable for any repairs in the future, and that any groups using the facility should maintain a capital expense fund to pay for needed repairs.

Under the approved proposal, the county will pay the equivalent of what it usually spends on maintaining the empty building. The county will give the Hunger Coalition $5,000 this fiscal year, and $7,500 over the next two fiscal years. County maintenance staff will install windows in the building and help with plumbing repairs, and the county will fund security and insurance for the 10 years of the contract. The county will also provide an already-purchased compressor for the heating system that would only work for the Hannah Building. The Hunger Coalition would be responsible for meeting all town of Boone permit requirements, including those regarding a section of the building in the 100-year flood plain.

The commissioners want contract language requiring the Hunger Coalition to maintain a fund for maintenance and repairs, and that additional space can only be leased to other local non-profit groups. Commissioner Jim Deal called the agreement a “moral commitment,” saying he understood how other agencies would be reluctant to lease space in the building until they saw a clear plan and that the center was actually operating.

The Hunger Coalition plans to use 6,000 square feet of the 16,000-square foot building. The space would house the office, the food pantry, and the free pharmacy, as well as the food recovery program that distributes more than 100,000 pounds of fresh food a year. The agency also plans to develop a free medical clinic and revive its heating assistance program.

The Hunger Coalition estimated it could provide 75 percent of the annual operating expenses from the money already spent on its Meadowview Drive facility in Boone. Fortuna said the agency had a critical need for more space, and its board of directors had met with town officials and believed repairs wouldn’t be as immediate or costly as county staff had suggested.

Deal said the commitment on the county’s part was minimal when compared to the services the Hunger Coalition and other agencies provided the public. “I can’t think of a better investment in Watauga County,” he said.

The decision comes after extensive debate and two work sessions on the building’s future. Earlier this year, the commissioners turned down a request from the Hospitality House, which wanted to move its homeless shelter and services out of downtown Boone and consolidate them at the Hannah Building. Prior to that, WAMY Community Action made a proposal to serve as a lead agency in developing the non-profit community center in conjunction with a handful of other agencies. Some of those agencies are still interested, Fortuna said, adding she had contacted a total of 18 agencies. “To make this center a reality, we do need county assistance,” Fortuna said. She said most of those interested agencies were taking a “wait and see” approach because they were wary of potential capital expenditures.

Fortuna said the Hunger Coalition planned to garner an additional $18,000 per year in grants, fund raising and through rent collected from other agencies using the center. Her report to the board said the Hunger Coalition feeds 1,200 people per month, a fourth of them under 18. The agency’s free pharmacy also gives out 1,200 prescriptions a month.

Other uses previously proposed for the building included a business incubator, fire fighters training facility and family counseling center.

• Scott Nicholson may be contacted at nicholson@wataugademocrat.com.