Community Center of South Decatur Shares Position on Possible Scottish Rite Sale
Decatur Metro | December 9, 2013 | 9:46 amThe Community Center of South Decatur sent in this open letter to DM this morning…
An Open Letter from The Community Center of South Decatur (The Solarium) to the Decatur Community
The news that the former Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital property is up for sale has prompted the board of the Community Center of South Decatur (CCSD) to share our position on the possible change in ownership of this historic property.
Many long-time residents of Oakhurst are familiar with the work that the all-volunteer CCSD board has done to help restore and preserve The Solarium building and grounds, part of the historic Scottish Rite property, as a community gathering place.
As most people in the neighborhood know, the Solarium is frequently rented out for weddings and other special events. What many don’t realize is that the CCSD is a non-profit organization that plows the income raised from those events into the maintenance of this special facility.
The Solarium also plays host or co-host to many community events, including:
- Free spring and fall jazz concerts on the lawn,
- Serving as volunteer headquarters for Decatur’s massive MLK weekend of service project,
- The annual BBQ, Blues and Bluegrass Festival,
- A gathering space for community meetings, classes and special events.
In recent years, the Community Center of South Decatur has helped to raise more than $50,000 to fund grants that have gone to support the work of other Decatur community organizations.
The members of the CCSD board want to reassure the Decatur community that we intend to continue our work as stewards of The Solarium to ensure that it remains available as a public resource. In that spirit, we have informed Progressive Development, the current owners of the Historic Scottish Rite property, of our intent to exercise a clause in our lease that allows us to purchase The Solarium.
First, a little history.
When the former Scottish Rite Hospital closed in the 1970s, the buildings and property were abandoned and fell into decline.
After several years, the City of Decatur stepped forward to acquire the property and led efforts to rescue the multi-acre complex. At the neighborhood level, a group of volunteers came together in 1979 to form The Community Center of South Decatur as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the goal of saving The Solarium from destruction.
When Progressive Development took ownership of the Historic Scottish Rite complex from the city, the legal agreement included a lease and other documents giving CCSD operational control of The Solarium for the community’s benefit. The lease continues through December 31, 2021, regardless of the ownership of the complex, ensuring that this public treasure will remain open to the public.
The agreement between the city, Progressive Development and CCSD also gives CCSD the option to purchase The Solarium if the Scottish Rite Property changes hands.
The CCSD has come a long way since that group of civic-minded Decatur residents gathered in 1979 to save these historic properties from the wrecking ball. Over the years, the board has raised and invested more than $100,000 into improvements and maintenance of The Solarium.
The CCSD’s mission is essentially the same today as it was nearly 35 years ago:
In the spirit of the founders of the first Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children, our mission is to preserve and maintain the Solarium as a community resource; and to offer programs, activities and services for the assistance, education and enjoyment of the entire Decatur community.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Hooray for the CCSD! I am very happy this is the plan moving forward, preserving a huge community asset. What will be the funding source for the purchase?
Do we know the price? And where the CCSD will get the funds?
I think the original post said $2.1M.
Thanks! I couldn’t seem to find the price in the original. Maybe my skimming isn’t as effective as I hoped.
The $2.1 million is the asking price for Scottish Rite but, if I’m reading this correctly, CCSD is only looking to purchase the Solarium. Curious how that kind of co-ownership would play out.
Yes, I’m curious about that as well. What would the cost of just the Solarium be and does piecing it out bring down or increase the overall $2.1M value? Wouldn’t you now be talking about 3 distinct properties?
Can someone clarify what the buildings are and their history? I see them as three buildings similar in style–the building housing Palate/MacGowans, the taller building that could be an elementary school, and the Solarium, where Renfroe’s auction used to be. Were they all once part of the Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital once? Now who owns them?
The center building and the two wings constitute “the building.” It was all designed and built together. If you have opportunity to review the work of its architect, Neel Reid, you’ll discover that, more than anything, it’s characterized by an extreme preference for symmetry (the Alexander Hotel in St. Petersburg, FL, or the Hawkes Library out in Cedartown, for example).
This was the first hospital devoted to orthopedic treatment and care for children — the original Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital. A brief but very informative history is at www [dot] thesolarium [dot] com [slash] solarim_history [dot] html (I don’t have time to keep an eye on this all afternoon and make sure a message with a link gets through moderation and eventually posted.)
Greetings, fellow Decatur residents –
I’m a member of the CCSD board and I’m posting to answer the question about the CCSD purchase price for the Solarium.
The developer, Progressive Decatur, was granted the Scottish Rite property and complex in 2001 for $10. There was a “Development Agreement” with the City and as part of that agreement the community (CCSD) was granted the East Wing of the main complex, known as The Solarium.
CCSD’s option to purchase The Solarium was set for 2021 for $10, unless the building was sold sooner. CCSD’s right to purchase for $10 remains in effect even if the building sells before 2021. While $10 sounds minimal, the ongoing expense and upkeep of The Solarium is the bulk of the cost for CCSD.
For those interested in supporting The Solarium and the Community Center of South Decatur’s work, please consider becoming a board member or making a donation. On the donation side, hosting a single event, from an Oakhurst Neighborhood Association meeting, jazz night or a senior gathering cost CCSD around $250 in utilities, cleaning and overhead. Further, CCSD is currently raising money to renovate the patio and landscape in front of The Solarium.
All support helps keep The Solarium an ongoing community resource center.
You can reach CCSD by sending an email to: [email protected] or mail a donation to: The Solarium, 321 W Hill St # 1A, Decatur, GA 30030
To add to Anna’s information. The option for CCSD has always been a part of public records filed with Dekalb County many many years ago when the original deal with PD was established to redevelop the property. The option to purchase has never been a secret. Just wanted to make that clear to the community. It is a win for the community!
Thanks,
Bryan Swann
Former President, CCSD