The Meriden Masonic Temple in Meriden, Connecticut has just been put on the market.
From the myrecordjournal.com website today:
The Masonic temple on East Main Street is listed for sale and the lodges that occupy the space are trying to relocate to a smaller location in the city.
Tom Gondek, president of the Meriden Masonic Temple Foundation, said although the 20,250-square-foot temple fulfills the needs of Center Lodge 97 and Meridian Lodge 77, membership can no longer sustain the cost of occupying the space.
“It can house a lot of people. The problem is a lot of people aren’t coming,” Gondek said. “The donations that we use to support the building aren’t nearly enough... It takes about $120,000 a year to run that building and we are probably in a shortfall of $35,000 to $40,000 a year.”
The three-story building was constructed in 1927 specifically for use as a Masonic Temple.The Temple is home to Meridian Lodge 77 (yes, I know, different spelling), Center Lodge 97, the Meriden Masonic History Museum, and several appendant bodies.
Tom Accuosti brought up a program proposed by then Grand Master Simon LaPlace of the Grand Lodge of Connecticut back in April 2014, called Building & Organization Allied Sponsorship (BOAS) to create partnerships with private businesses specifically to find a way to save these irreplaceable buildings. Unfortunately, the plan vanished after Simon left office. That alone is a tragic enough comment.
I don't understand why they are selling. I'm a real estate broker and there is an alternative. Have them check with a local architect and see if there are air rights to the property and if there are they can team up with a developer to help build residential units on top and keep the building. The developer will give them some of the apartments and that will bring in an income to off set the cost of the buildings expenses. I never understand why selling is the first option?
ReplyDeleteThat a plan to help us maintain our history and our presence through well-constructed and designed buildings vanished is a bit troubling. After all, is that what Operative Masonry is about? And Freemasonry is about constructing a whole, thinking, rational being (us.) I would kindly (but not lightly) suggest that the Grand Lodge of Connecticut re-consider this action.
ReplyDeleteI may explore this a bit more. I wonder if we should pursue something similar in Massachusetts, where many of our building associations are facing similar problems.