GREENFIELD - The Landing Place - a gathering place for those facing mental health issues, substance abuse or other challenges - is looking for a new home.
The nonprofit currently rents a 12,000-square-foot space at 18 W. South St., in a one-story building owned by the City of Greenfield, just around the corner from city hall.
Director Linda Ostewig said she's been informed that The Landing Place and other organizations using the space will need to relocate by next summer, since city officials have found the cost of upkeep and repairs to be prohibitive.
Ostewig said she's had to evacuate her office due to rain repeatedly leaking through the ceiling.
"They've come out and patched it and (dried it out) but they said they have an estimate that shows it would cost too much money for a new roof," she said.
Greenfield mayor Guy Titus said that while it's unfortunate, the building is simply past the point of repair.
"It's getting in such bad shape," he said. "It needs a new roof and we've got bricks that are crumbling away. It's an old building that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix."
The city's planning director, Joanie Fitzwater, said the city purchased the building in 2021 when the previous longtime owner decided to sell. The plan was to eventually tear down the building and replace it with a parking lot, she said.
Titus said the current plan is to raze the building sometime next summer.
Ostewig said she knew tearing down the building was a consideration, and learned in September that plans to demolish the building were moving forward.
She said when she met with city officials in November, she was told the building would need to be vacated by June.
She's now leading the charge to find a new home for The Landing, as are the other organizations that occupy the building.
Onsite Catering and the Riley Festival both sublease space from The Landing while an adult learning center uses some of the space for free.
Ostewig said she and her board are on the hunt for a suitable property within their budget, which is roughly $2,000 a month for rent.
Finding a suitable space in or near downtown Greenfield would be ideal, she said.
"If we're not centrally located downtown, the homeless and the kids who rely on our program can't walk there," said Ostewig.
The Landing Place promotes itself as a safe place to give Hancock County teens hope and real-life strategies and principles to break the cycles of dysfunction and destructive behaviors while promoting healthier lifestyles.
The faith-based nonprofit got its start in October 2014, when it opened a gathering place for teens on the upper level of a downtown Greenfield coffee shop, in the building that now houses Tour of Italy Cafe.
Ostewig founded the organization as a means to support others like her daughter, who struggled with substance abuse. She strived to create a coffee house atmosphere and no-cost programming, modeled after recovery programs for adults, to help youth with their "hurts, habits, and hang-ups."
According to its website, "The Landing Place is a safe place for students to be real and deal with life, including issues such as fear, addiction, anxiety, depression, self-harm, hopelessness, sexual identity issues, suicidal thoughts, abuse, and destructive perfectionism."
Teens can drop in weekly to share a meal and hear a teaching or testimony and participate in small groups. The Landing also offers a 24-hour crisis intervention hotline, a family support group for family and friends of those with addictions, as well as individual biblical counseling services. The program also gives participants the chance to share their talents through open mic nights.
Ostewig said something special happens when teens walk through the doors of The Landing Place - they discover self-worth, hope, and love.
"It might be the first time they experience a loving environment free of judgment. It might be the first time they hear they are valuable, that they have a purpose, and that they matter. It might be the first time they ever truly feel loved," she shares on the website.
Since its founding the program has steadily grown, moving to its current location in 2019.
In February 2022, the nonprofit launched the Recovery Cafe, a program designed to create a sense of community and support for those who have struggled with substance use, mental illness, incarceration and homelessness.
The cafe offers recovery circles six times a week in addition to hot meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays and breakfast and lunch on Saturdays. Recovery coaching is available by appointment.
All programming is free, including the use of an onsite shower and laundry facilities.
Ostewig said The Landing's next property would ideally include showers and laundry facilities, be in or within walking distance of downtown Greenfield and include a bit of outdoor space for clients to enjoy. The current site is surrounded by sidewalks and pavement.
"If anybody knows of any (properties) that would help us through this transition, we just ask they reach out to us because this is a vital program in the community," Ostewig said.
She said the board hasn't ruled out purchasing a property and plans to explore launching a capital campaign sometime after the holidays. She encourages anyone with potential leads to email her at [email protected].