The nonprofit Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor has a deal to purchase a building in Scio Township to relocate its warehouse thrift sales facility.
The organization plans to buy the 121,651-square-foot building at 100 N. Staebler Road from Sheridan Books and relocate its warehouse thrift sale from Plaza Drive in Pittsfield Township, according to a news release. The new facility will be called The Kiwanis Center.
The deal is contingent upon Kiwanis receiving a conditional use permit from Scio Township to repurpose the warehouse property on Staebler Road as mixed-use.
According to plans submitted to the township, Kiwanis would also lease out portions of the new building to generate additional funds for gifting. The organization wants to establish an educational preserve on a 7.5-acre wooded and wetland area next to the building on the property.
The Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor Foundation has a deal to buy the building at 100 N. Staebler Road, a Sheridan Books manufacturing facility, in Scio Township.
Kiwanis would “remove invasive species, restore indigenous species and create a limited system of pathways” in the woodland area, which could be used for environmental education by school groups and other agencies.
The Kiwanis Thrift Sale building on South First Street in downtown Ann Arbor will not be impacted by the move. Kiwanis Club owns that building and uses it for its Saturday thrift sales and club meetings.
Kiwanis was prompted to find a permanent warehouse building because it is currently operating out of donated space near the Ann Arbor Airport.
“The inevitable loss of (the Plaza Drive) warehouse is the prime motivator for the relocation to Scio Township,” the plans say.
The building at 100 N. Staebler was constructed in phases from 1955 through 1979 for Sheridan Books, a Chelsea-based book printing manufacturer. The building in Scio Township has been listed for sale for more than six years. It has an assessed value of $1,205,900.
Sheridan Books would continue to lease back a portion of the Staebler Road building after the sale, the news release says.
Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor has been donating goods and services to members and organizations in the community since 1921. The nonprofit has 157 members. More than 100 volunteers and seven employees help with the Saturday thrift sales.
Proceeds from the thrift sales are used for charitable giving in the community. In 2013, Kiwanis grants were given to 81 charitable and community organizations, with 33 scholarships given to local high school seniors. Since 2005, giving has exceeded $2 million.
The building on Staebler Road is located in Scio Township’s Jackson Road Overlay District. It’s across the street from the under-construction Menards home improvement store.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Reach her at 734-255-2638, email her lizzyalfs@mlive.com or follow her on Twitter.