Meet the new Proposed Lotus Center!
ISD Oneonta is excited to introduce 297 River St as our proposed new home! Listening to our members desires, and to our Board Members & Directors counsel has led us to keeping a watchful eye out for just that right place, and we think we have found it! We would like to share our vision with you. You'll find several photos below which model the space and its possibilities for us. Further below you can read about how we plan to make this work financially (with regard to our budget). We will be hosting a Special Convention on October 6 right after church (usually 11:30am) via zoom and in person, to introduce this new space and the details of how we will make it happen, how it will be used etc. We ask you as ISDO Members to come and vote on this important step for our future. It is our goal to create full transparency around this so that you can come with your best questions all ready formed! (Zoom link will be the same as church service on that day).
As you see above, our new center will be up in the sky, right off of I-88 in Oneonta (exit 13). It is on the 2nd story with windows facing both South and East, not shown in this model. An elevator is handy right near our main entrance and there is plenty of parking for all of our events. 2 bathrooms are conveniently placed in the hallway right outside our door. This property includes a great meeting room where we can host our Sunday Metaphysical Services, a small kitchen area, an office for the Pastor and 2 separate rooms to be rented out.
In full transparency, this will not be easy financially, but it is doable! Because we have been saving $500 a month since we left Dietz street, we have been able to add to our savings considerably with this exact intention in mind; returning to having a place to call home once again. We came into the new fiscal year guided by spirit and also in complete board alignment with the need to stretch our wings and grow into a new physical location. We would like to operate from a space that feels welcoming to all and which is accessible to all.
The rent is $1,500/mo which is considerably lower than any other place available right now, with many more features and amenities ~ and bigger! We will be taking on a 3yr lease. We anticipate being able to make at least $500/mo on the two combined smaller rooms. Our new plan will include a pledge drive in hopes that some of our members fall in love with this idea as well and can work with us to make it happen. Adult Ed and our board as a unit are working to improve our efficiency both intrinsically and extrinsically so as to improve our operating ratio as well. The plan is to tighten down the hatches and improve our margin of growth within the 3 years that our savings nest egg will last us.
