Hope Center officials are hopeful that their organization will be the next occupant of the former Kroger site on West Fifth Street.
“We’ve got so many dreams and visions for that space,” said Hope Center Director of Administration and Development Becky Bolt.
Bolt said Hope Center officials will present their proposed plans for the site to Marysville City Council at its meeting Monday.
Vision Development, which is proposing to build 240 apartments and develop three commercial out-lots at the site, recently asked city officials to create a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreement to help pay for the development.
If the development falls through, Bolt said the Hope Center “would love to be the next ones in line.”
The Hope Center provides services to the community through three ministries: Compassion, Community and Next Gen.
Compassion ministries include a community kitchen that serves free meals, a personal needs pantry, a clothes closet, a furniture bank and legal counsel, among other services. Community ministries consist of various support groups. Lastly, Next Gen ministries provide youth with mentors and other safe activities.
To provide a wide variety of services, Bolt said a specific space is necessary. She said the former Kroger site could be a “one-stop” shop.
“It just suits everything,” she said.
If the Hope Center were to occupy the site, she said Agape Church would pay the organization to rent one area, as they do in the current building at 212 Chestnut Street.
Until officials from the Hope Center learn more about the future of the West Fifth Street site, Bolt said plans are underway for temporary operations.
The Hope Center is currently housed in the former East Elementary School building.
In December 2021, officials from the Marysville Exempted Village School District, which owns the former school, chose to reclaim the Chestnut Street building to house its administrative operations.
Hope Center officials were given until July 1 to transition out of the building.
Bolt said the goal is to keep operations going while the organization searches for a new, more permanent space.
“We don’t want service to stop,” she said.
To ensure “we continue as much as possible,” Bolt said many of the Hope Center’s services, which are currently housed under one roof, will be split into separate locations.
Since plans are not set in stone, Bolt did not disclose exact locations, but said the Hope Center is investigating several different sites.
She said the organization is in contract with a “property in town” that would house the Hope Center’s emergency services center and offices. Bolt said she feels confident that this location is a “done deal.”
On the other hand, Bolt said Hope Center officials are looking into a building that is approximately 5,000 square feet to house one of its ministries, such as the furniture bank, clothes closet or personal needs pantry. They are also considering another location that could house all three, she said.
Bolt noted that the Hope Center is also in talks with a local church that has a “commercial kitchen.” She said it would be used to cook the daily to-go meals provided by the organization.
Likewise, Bolt said the Hope Center is also working with her home church, Haven Community Church, to see if it can provide temporary storage space.
While the Hope Center continues to work on finalizing temporary locations, Bolt said officials are planning to begin packing the current site in May in preparation to move in June.
She said she feels confident that the Hope Center will be able to continue the meet the community’s needs, even if where that happens is not yet certain.
“God knows, we just don’t know yet,” Bolt said.
Organizers put school issue behind them
Although the Marysville Exempted Village School District’s plans to move back into the former East Elementary School building are forcing the Hope Center’s move, Bolt emphasized that she does not want the school district to be villainized.
“That was a good financial decision,” she said. “We are not upset about it.”
Bolt said she feels “it’s time for us to move on” from the site, and trust God will provide a new space for the Hope Center.