United Way moving to new office at bank
By Laura Collins
Published in News on June 28, 2009 2:00 AM
United Way of Wayne County workers will have a change of scenery come next week.
The organization is moving from its location at 308 N. William St. to the Wachovia building at 301 E. Ash St. The bank will still occupy the first floor, and the United Way will move into the top floor.
Rick Moffatt, president of the board, said the William Street building, which also houses the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, is not handicapped accessible.
So, when the Wachovia office space became available, board members decided to consider the move.
"One of the things was handicapped accessibility; that was one of our key issues," he said. "Over the years, we've had board members that had a wheelchair or a walker and could not attend meetings unless we relocated the meeting place."
Jane Rustin, United Way board member and immediate past president, said the board had been discussing moving the United Way office for the past several years, but officially began looking about a year ago.
Making the move was not an easy decision.
"We've enjoyed being in the current building because of our relationship with the Chamber of Commerce and the other non-profits in the building," Ms. Rustin said.
The new location provides more floor space and easier access including elevators.
The rent for the new space will be slightly higher. The amount, considering the space available and the quality of the location, is in line with what a space like that should cost, Ms. Rustin said.
"It's a good deal. It costs more money, but in the current economic climate, it's a very reasonable rent," she said.
Moffatt and Ms. Rustin both said the United Way's current location needed renovations, so the increase in rent required to move to the Wachovia site likely offsets the amount the organization would have paid in additional rent on William Street if the landlords had to finance the repairs.
The organization is moving Monday and will open at the Ash Street location July 1.