09 Nov 2009

Friendship House Update

The  saga continues in the future of  one of the region’s most historic properties: the bid for ownership of Friendship House/The Maples by Sonja Sweek and her family has fallen through. With it goes the plans for a complex containing a daycare center, a medical practice and a family living quarters.

The next bidder in line is PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), from whom The Hill is Home is awaiting a response.

Today, Monday, Nov. 9, was the court-mandated date by which the Sweek family had to get to closing for the purchase of this property. The family found funding, which they admitted was a challenge.  They were scrambling to get the funding together, but ran out of time to put the final funding package together, it announced.

“Therefore, we will not be purchasing the property (The Maples/Friendship House, 619 D Street, SE ) at this time,” Sweek stated in an email to many in the community and posted on MOTH [Moms on the Hill  listserv].

Sweek added her thanks and disappointment in a note:

“Thank you so much to the dozens of you who stated your support, and your intention to enroll your child.  The support from the Hill community has truly been gratifying.  Still, it takes time to put together a funding package for a large multi-use property.  We had 45 days to accomplish that, and the Realtors, our attorney, and the loan broker worked hours and hours on this.  However, in the end, we simply could not meet the deadline.”

Sweek told THIH that the family will attempt to “make sure the bank holding the mortgage understands that we would still, in the future, be interested in the purchase, should PETA decide not to go ahead with it.”

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3 responses to “Friendship House Update”

  1. TS says:

    This is disappointing news. I greatly had hoped they’d be able to make the deadline. I don’t see PETA being as good for the neighborhood.

  2. Elizabeth Festa says:

    PETA responded today to a query I made Monday. Here is part of PETA’s response:
    PETA is indeed interested in this wonderful historic property, with its beautiful grounds and the Quaker history which embraces peace and vegetarian living. The purchase price is not the only cost involved, as the interior of the building, the roof, and so on has fallen into great disrepair. The property must be restored and made safe – something that will probably require an investment at least as great as the purchase price itself.

  3. Mark says:

    I would absolutely welcome PETA into our neighborhood – I am not a vegatarian/ vegan, but I think we can all stand against cruelty to animals. Moreover, I lived in Norfolk previously – where PETA has their HQ, and I can assure you PETA was an excellent neighbor to that community.

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