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For the past several months, a select committee has been meeting to prepare to launch an ambitious campaign to establish a new home for the Home Builders Association of Maryland and its non-profit foundation, the Maryland Community Builders Foundation. This communication represents the first step in that launch, an outreach to you and scores of other industry leaders active in our association to solicit your involvement, contributions and suggestions.
We have two primary objectives; one relating principally to our Foundation, the other to the association itself. The Maryland Community Builders Foundation was created in 1999 to respond to requests for assistance in charitable housing/shelter related projects. Over the ensuing 11 years, association members working with and through the non-profit Foundation have played a major role in dozens of projects. Large undertakings like the renovation of the Believe In Tomorrow House at St. Casimir, a housing facility which provides extended stay accommodations to pediatric patients and their families undergoing lengthy hospital treatments and small projects like a new porch and ramp for the ARC of Baltimore. There is however, much more we could do and much more we would like to do. There is one major constraint: financial resources. The Foundation has no significant or continuing source of income.
Regarding the Association, our objective is to have a physical presence in Central Maryland that stands as a testament to the strength, vitality and endurance of our industry and the Association that represents it. In short we would like a signature “home” in a highly visible location on a major transportation corridor.
These two objectives come together in this effort to create a debt free facility that is owned by the Foundation and “tenanted” by the association. Through its annual lease, it is estimated that rent income paid by the association would net the Foundation $100,000 after building operating expenses. The facility itself, to be called the Maryland Center for Housing, in addition to being a signature facility in a highly visible location will be a state of the art green building and will serve as a statement of the association’s foresight and leadership in innovation and design.
This campaign calls on your and your fellow members for donations and/or commitments of land, labor, money and materials. All contributions will be fully tax deductable as the Foundation is a fully approved 501-C3 non-profit organization.
Naming rights: There are many opportunities for naming rights and personal and corporate recognition ranging from a lead donor contribution of land, money or an existing building, to contributions of building materials, labor and cash.
Time Frame: Our goal is to go from concept (now) to occupancy within three years.
Timing: Why now? There is strong agreement that the current market represents the best opportunity to purchase/obtain a location/building under the most favorable terms.
Location/Facility: We have already looked at many sites and existing buildings centrally located within our region. We are considering raw land, existing buildings requiring minor rehab and existing buildings requiring major rehab or teardown.
Site Specs:
- 10,000—12,000 ± contiguous square feet—Class A-B office space
- Land to purchase ( 2-3 acres) or a build-to-suit opportunity for a 10,000—12,000 ± square foot building
- Existing building to purchase of at least 10,000—12,000 square feet for offices and conference facilities
- All of the above spaces should be located along the 1-95 corridor stretching from 1-695 West though to Baltimore County to Route 175 in Howard County
- All sites must have prominent visibility
We very much hope that you will join and support us in this campaign. We welcome your participation, contributions and suggestions. Please see the preliminary “commitment/expression of interest” form that we hope you will fill out and return to us in the very near future. We will be back in touch soon.
Sincerely,
The Building CampaignCommittee for the Maryland Center for Housing
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