High Springs meeting spotlights deteriorating city‑owned St. Madeleine’s building; residents suggest consolidating nonprofits into vacant properties

At a High Springs meeting, residents and city speakers urged the city to address deterioration at the city‑owned building leased to St. Madeleine’s and discussed consolidating local nonprofits and community groups into vacant municipal properties.

Speakers said St. Madeleine’s provides regular food and other services to High Springs residents and that the building’s condition puts that service at risk. “Almost a thousand residents from High Springs alone, that that come regularly,” said Resident 2, describing the nonprofit’s client base. Resident 2 also said St. Madeleine’s is run largely by volunteers: “there’s only 1 hired person there, the director. The rest of it's all done by volunteers.”

Councilmember 1 emphasized the city’s legal responsibility for building upkeep because the city owns the structure and leases it to the nonprofit. “It’s our responsibility because we own it, and they lease it. I don't care if it's $1 or a thousand dollars a month. They lease it, and we're responsible by the lease. That building is the 1, out of everything you see tonight, that concerns me the most,” Councilmember 1 said.

Several speakers proposed consolidating organizations into fewer city properties to reduce overall maintenance. Resident 1 suggested grouping the museum and the Douglas Historic School Society in one space and placing the Boy Scouts and the garden club in another: “They’re in that room. Then in the Blue Spring room, you put boy scout and garden club. Mhmm. Then you problem solved. That's everybody.” Another speaker suggested using the Santa Fe room as a central site for multiple groups.

A speaker who identified themselves as a real estate professional offered to help quantify property values and returns on investment for city‑owned vacant properties and recommended conducting competitive procurement if the city seeks outside analysis. “Listening to this conversation as a real estate person, an ROI is what you need on all of your properties, and I can help,” the real estate professional said, and added that running a comparative market analysis (CMA) is straightforward with available tools.

Councilmember 1 told speakers, “We'll get you the data,” indicating staff would provide additional information on options and condition assessments, but no formal motion or vote on repairs or consolidation was recorded in the transcript.

Clarifying details recorded in the meeting included that St. Madeleine’s serves clients through USDA programs and additional donations, that nearly 1,000 High Springs residents use its services regularly (as reported by a speaker), and that the nonprofit operates with one paid director and volunteer support. Speakers repeatedly distinguished between discussion of the nonprofit’s services and concern about the physical building the city owns.

No formal decision, motion, or vote about repairs, transfers, or consolidation was recorded in the available transcript; speakers requested data and suggested possible next steps.

Residents, volunteers and staff may return with cost estimates or a proposed plan once the requested data are provided.