The Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts building in Palmer Lake is for sale.
The approximately 9,500-square-foot property, which was closed and later reopened by the Palmer Lake Fire Department earlier this year, is on the market for $1.45 million.
TLCA Executive Director Michael Maddox said, “We've had several screenings.” “We have been encouraged to move our nonprofit to another city that will support us. We have no intention of disbanding our nonprofit. Our vision remains the same: Enriching Families with the Arts.” We love artists. We know how art can impact and improve society. ”
Maddox did not say where the nonprofit would be moved. “The seller is willing to move quickly and be creative with financing,” the property listing states.
related
The Tri-Lakes Arts Center is currently open for at least two months, with free opening receptions for two new exhibits on Friday. TLCA has been closed for about five weeks due to a missing certificate of occupancy and failing a fire inspection. A temporary certificate of occupancy from the City of Palmer Lake allows the building to remain open for 60 days with extension options.
The nonprofit closed on Jan. 26 after the fire department issued a cease-and-desist order citing code violations and unsafe conditions. The building's certificate of occupancy was also missing.
A 60-day temporary certificate of occupancy issued by the City of Palmer Lake allowed TLCA to reopen on March 8th. Maddox said it was renewed this month for six months while staff works toward obtaining a final certificate of occupancy from the Pikes Peak Regional Building. Department.
But that may be “too little, too late,” Maddox said. There are no events scheduled for TLCA at this time.
Palmer Lake Mayor Grant Havener is aware that the building, which is owned by TLCA and not the town, may be sold.
“There's nothing I can do about that. In an ideal world, I'd like the town to be able to get some input on who buys it,” Harfner said. “If we were to sell it, we'd like it to be somewhere that brings in revenue to the town and brings value to the town. It would be a phenomenal event center, community center, fire station.”
Monument resident Maggie Williams has served on the TLCA board for at least 10 years.
“It's unfortunate that Palmer Lake didn't give us continued occupancy,” said Williams, owner of Bella Art & Frames in Monument. “They (TLCA) are doing what they have to do because they have no other choice. It's awful to lose. Palmer Lake understands what they have, not only in Maddox but in the venue. It seems like they haven't.”
related
Tri-Lakes Arts Center in Palmer Lake is temporarily closed due to a lack of a certificate of occupancy and failing a fire safety inspection. Executive Director Michael Maddox believes the closure was because the nonprofit began renting out the church on Sunday mornings, but Palmer Lake Mayor Grant Hebner disputed that. It said the occupancy certificate and fire code violations were the cause. Maddox is working to reopen the center, but is uncertain when that will happen.
But some Palmer Lake residents are concerned about the sale. Roger Moseley, who has lived in the area for 30 years, said the situation was clandestine. He said TLCA members were not informed of the sale. A previous red flag occurred in 2022 when the nonprofit made a charter change.
After TLCA's dissolution, the property was originally scheduled to be donated to the Palmer Lake Historical Society, according to the Colorado Secretary of State's nonprofit tracker. In 2022, the TLCA Board of Directors, which includes Mr. Maddox, his wife, and his son, amended the bylaws to distribute the nonprofit's assets to other nonprofits upon dissolution, as determined by the board.
“Families are selfish and it's a huge conflict of interest,” Moseley said. “They've taken this organization and its assets and turned them into almost personal property. Even if the sale goes through, we don't know where the money is going to go. not.”
This change was made to ensure that the dissolution provisions in the articles of incorporation are consistent with the dissolution language already included in the TLCA bylaws, TLCA attorney Michael J. Cook of Cook Rector Pierce said in an email. I wrote it by email.
“While this change does not necessarily preclude the Palmer Lake Historical Society from receiving a portion of the distribution upon the eventual liquidation of TLCA, the TLCA Board of Directors will continue to It also provides the ability to distribute distributions to exempt organizations in “its legacy and mission,'' Cook wrote.
related
John Schneider is an actor best known for his roles on the TV show “The Dukes of Hazzard'' and is also a prolific musician. He will perform from more than 20 albums at Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts on Saturday.
Maddox has no plans to dissolve TLCA, but he says it would be legal to sell the property in order to relocate and find another TLCA property or municipality.
“They can relocate, acquire commercial real estate and continue TLCA's activities without dissolution,” he said.
Some residents believe the Maddoxes have their own nonprofit organization that could benefit from dissolving the arts center, Moseley said. Mr. Maddox had a plan called “Project Peace on Earth,” which was founded in Texas and registered in Manitou Springs after moving to Colorado, according to the state's nonprofit tracker. It is now obsolete, Cook wrote.
Walt Moore, a potter who rented a workshop at TLCA nearly a decade ago, isn't happy about the impending sale, either.
“We hope that an injunction will be issued to prevent the sale,” Moore said. “There's a group trying to save the facility for its intended purpose. We think he's going to use whatever he can get out of the facility and leave.”
Palmer Lake resident Kimberly Ward purchased the TLCA building and donated it to the Palmer Lake Arts Council in 1998 for use as a community arts center. TLCA became a nonprofit organization in 1999. Ward helped Maddox become president of the board, and he took over his nonprofit around 2010. Ward passed away last year.
Harfner said Maddox has not consulted with the city about potential buyers and is not obligated to do so.
“I want people to think about what makes the town happy,” she says. “It's a prominent part of town. It's walkable. It's prominently located on Highway 105. I don't know who I showed it to or where I am in the sales process. He received it. We ask that you honor the wishes of your gift and give us the opportunity to leave a blessing for the next generation.”
Although the building is for sale, Maddox said he continues to seek a permanent certificate of occupancy. You must hire someone to create a remodeling plan that includes installing fire walls and fire doors. This work is expected to cost several thousand dollars. Once construction is complete, a new fire inspection will be required before a certificate can be issued by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Authority.