-Groups would swap buildings in March-

OSOYOOS TIMES-December 24, 2008-

By Paul EverestrnOsoyoos Times

The Osoyoos Elks and members of the Osoyoos Baptist Church have voted to trade buildings.
Ted Osborne, who has acted as a mediator for the church during negotiations with the Elks, said that in a vote on Dec. 21, church members voted unanimously in favour of taking over the Elks Hall at the corner of Hwy. 97 and 62nd Avenue while giving the Elks the church on 92nd Avenue.
In addition to the transfer of the buildings, the Baptists would pay the Elks $300,000.
Leroy Olson, secretary and past president for the Osoyoos Elks Lodge No. 436, said the Elks were also 100 per cent in favour of the swap when they voted on the deal at a meeting on Dec. 17.
The buildings would switch hands at the beginning of March if all conditions of the agreement are carried out, Osborne said.
Those conditions include that each facility pass a building inspection, he added.
The two groups began discussing a building swap in the fall after a deal for three Lower Mainland-based developers to buy the Elks' 1.5-hectare property collapsed.
The trio of companies interested in the property, including Seniorhome, a company specializing in building facilities for seniors, had entered into an agreement with the Elks in November, 2006, to purchase the hall and land.
The companies had planned to build a three-part development on the site including townhomes, a new facility for the Elks and an assisted-living facility for seniorsrnSeniorhome President Pat Frewer said in October that the agreement to purchase the Elks property collapsed because the provincial Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry denied the developers' request to have access to the property from Hwy. 97 and so the Elks eventually walked away from the sale.
Olson has said, however, that the deal collapsed because the developers did not have the money to go forward with the project due to a worsening international economic climate.
When the property was put up for sale again in October following the collapse of the development deal, the price tag was $1,399,000.
Osborne said the Baptists were interested in the building-swap idea because they need more space.
The group will be planning some renovations of the hall and looking at the potential of the property for future church projects that could include affordable housing.
The Elks, who had first voted to sell their property in early 2006, wanted to move into a new space because it was costing too much to maintain and operate the hall.
Olson said most of the Elks are happy with the deal.
Some of the original members who did a lot of work on (the hall) aren't too pleased, he added. But they understand the economy of it.
They're pleased that we're going to still have a hall.rnIn the meantime, Olson said, it's business as usual for both groups until March gets closer.
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