Claremont
Turning Points, a nonprofit organization that assists victims of abuse with a variety of services, has outgrown its space on Summer Street and has been told by a contractor that it would not be cost effective to renovate and expand that location because of the building’s age and condition, Executive Director Deb Mozden said.
Mozden said the building at 231 Broad St. has been “gifted” to the organization and if the renovation goes forward it will give them about 2,300 square feet of space. TPN’s Summer Street location has 2,000 square feet, but not all of it is useable, she said.
In a summary of its needs submitted to the council, TPN said it was looking for a downtown location that could be renovated to fit current needs. With a full-time day staff of 12 and 18 total employees with 25 volunteers, TPN plans for 17 offices, conference areas and handicap accessible bathrooms.
Though the Broad Street property would be an improvement over the Summer Street location, TPN said “the space is prohibitive for future growth.” As a result, TPN, in consultation with architect Jay Barrett, also is considering purchasing the adjacent building at 227 Broad St., which would allow for more parking and future growth needs.
“The new space will reduce long-term maintenance costs, improve visibility for TPN and allow for expanded services across the city and county,” the summary said.
TPN, formerly Women’s Supportive Services, has been in existence for more than 40 years and last year alone assisted more than 900 individuals in the county, with more than 45 percent living in Claremont.
“We have been experiencing a need for more services,” Mozden said at Wednesday night’s council meeting.
Mozden said they are not required to meet a match for the grant, if it is approved, but will need additional funding to complete the renovations, though an estimated cost for all the work has not been determined. She said they are looking into other grant possibilities.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
