MONROE - The Green County Inter-church Food Pantry will be moving in June to its new home, the "old Lanz building," at the corner of 12th Street and 17th Avenue, according to Maynard Heins, pantry coordinator.
The food pantry's board made the decision two weeks ago, Heins said, and is in negotiations with the property's new owners, Gary and Melissa Burch, Monroe, concerning the amount of rent to be paid.
Moving to the new location means "more space for storage and working, and so people can come in and not have to stand outside (waiting to come in)," said Heins, who has been with the pantry for five years.
"And it'll be all on one level," he added.
Workers at the pantry must carry some food supplies to and from the second floor of the small, older home at 1015 15th Avenue, where the pantry is currently located, and that it shares with Habitat for Humanity.
Grace Lutheran Church owns the house, but is removing it to make room for a handicap upgrade project, including a handicap accessible doorway and parking lot for the congregation.
Heins said pantry representatives looked at the property Friday, inspecting the structure and flooring to assure they will hold up under the food-laden shelves and counting the electrical outlets for freezers and refrigerators. If the inspection goes well, the decision would be finalized by the end of the week.
The food pantry is moving into about 2,500 square feet of the property, said Melissa Burch. The Burches purchased the property late last year and are hoping to add more non-profit organizations to the list of tenants.
The Burches are taking a "phased-in approach" to re-vitalizing the property. The husband and wife team run "Bountiful Hope," a large garden outside Monroe producing chemical-free produce for the pantry.
The idea of getting the pantry into a larger space was not a new one for her and Gary, Burch said, but the church's plans "expedited the project."
She said the Green County Inter-Church Food Pantry will be able to move into the building by the first part of June, even though the rest of the building will not be ready for occupants.
"We are working with an engineering firm in Platteville to figure out what we need to meet the required codes and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility," she said.
Re-modeling and updating the building - four floors totaling 15,000 square feet - will gear up about March 15 with new window installations, Burch said.
The white paint will come off for tuck pointing to begin, and Burch is hoping to keep the brick underneath natural. If that's not possible, the Historical Preservation Commission has "a whole pallet of colors to choose from," she added.
The main level is intended to become office space with a retail area, but the space will be flexible, she said. The third and fourth floors will eventually become a single family, three-bedroom home.
Heins said monetary donations will be needed for outfitting the pantry's new home, including extra shelving, carts, roller tacks and tables. Volunteer labor for the move will also come in handy when the time draws near, he added.
Donations to the food pantry can be made by contacting Maynard Heins at 325-3373, or Art Whipple at 325-5734.
The food pantry's board made the decision two weeks ago, Heins said, and is in negotiations with the property's new owners, Gary and Melissa Burch, Monroe, concerning the amount of rent to be paid.
Moving to the new location means "more space for storage and working, and so people can come in and not have to stand outside (waiting to come in)," said Heins, who has been with the pantry for five years.
"And it'll be all on one level," he added.
Workers at the pantry must carry some food supplies to and from the second floor of the small, older home at 1015 15th Avenue, where the pantry is currently located, and that it shares with Habitat for Humanity.
Grace Lutheran Church owns the house, but is removing it to make room for a handicap upgrade project, including a handicap accessible doorway and parking lot for the congregation.
Heins said pantry representatives looked at the property Friday, inspecting the structure and flooring to assure they will hold up under the food-laden shelves and counting the electrical outlets for freezers and refrigerators. If the inspection goes well, the decision would be finalized by the end of the week.
The food pantry is moving into about 2,500 square feet of the property, said Melissa Burch. The Burches purchased the property late last year and are hoping to add more non-profit organizations to the list of tenants.
The Burches are taking a "phased-in approach" to re-vitalizing the property. The husband and wife team run "Bountiful Hope," a large garden outside Monroe producing chemical-free produce for the pantry.
The idea of getting the pantry into a larger space was not a new one for her and Gary, Burch said, but the church's plans "expedited the project."
She said the Green County Inter-Church Food Pantry will be able to move into the building by the first part of June, even though the rest of the building will not be ready for occupants.
"We are working with an engineering firm in Platteville to figure out what we need to meet the required codes and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility," she said.
Re-modeling and updating the building - four floors totaling 15,000 square feet - will gear up about March 15 with new window installations, Burch said.
The white paint will come off for tuck pointing to begin, and Burch is hoping to keep the brick underneath natural. If that's not possible, the Historical Preservation Commission has "a whole pallet of colors to choose from," she added.
The main level is intended to become office space with a retail area, but the space will be flexible, she said. The third and fourth floors will eventually become a single family, three-bedroom home.
Heins said monetary donations will be needed for outfitting the pantry's new home, including extra shelving, carts, roller tacks and tables. Volunteer labor for the move will also come in handy when the time draws near, he added.
Donations to the food pantry can be made by contacting Maynard Heins at 325-3373, or Art Whipple at 325-5734.