A $265,000 grant will allow the Damariscotta social-services agency Mobius Inc. to purchase and renovate The Genesis Fund building at 3 Chapman St. in Damariscotta.
The building will house the agency’s rapidly growing Learning Enrichment Achievement Discovery program, better known within the agency as LEAD; and its new mental-health program, with room to spare.
Mobius Inc. already rents office space above the building’s garage from The Genesis Fund, which will sell the building as it prepares for a move to Brunswick in the spring.
The purchase will allow Mobius to move into the offices in the main building. The agency also plans to convert the garage into a program space for LEAD, according to Mobius Inc. Executive Director David Lawlor.
The location suits the agency’s needs well due to its proximity to Mobius Inc. headquarters at 319 Main St., a Mobius housing facility on Chapman Street, and Mobius offices in the Wheeler building at 114 Church St., as well as downtown Damariscotta.
Lawlor expects the agency to complete the purchase and begin renovations soon. The move will likely take place in spring 2015.
The Next Generation Foundation will provide the grant. The foundation seeks “to improve health, education, and societal support for the most vulnerable populations of Maine,” according to its website.
William Floyd is the executive director of The Genesis Fund and the president of the Mobius Inc. Board of Directors.
“I’m just incredibly thrilled about this grant from (The Next Generation) Foundation to help Mobius purchase and renovate this building,” Floyd said. “It’s a perfect spot for them and certainly for the consumers they serve.”
A new sidewalk ends at 3 Chapman St. and a ramp is already in place to provide easy access to the building for Mobius consumers with physical disabilities, Floyd said.
“It’s a very exciting opportunity for both of us … for Mobius to expand and for (Genesis) to be closer to sort of the center of Maine,” Floyd said. “I think it’s a win-win for both organizations.”
The Genesis Fund purchased the 3 Chapman St. property in 2009. It was formerly home to Sweetser, a behavioral health-care organization.
Mobius Inc. is a nonprofit that provides services to people with disabilities.
The Genesis Fund is a nonprofit community development financial institution. The organization lends money at favorable terms to nonprofits for the development of affordable housing and community facilities throughout the state.