Potential Land Sale
A real estate development firm has made Woodlake UMC an offer to purchase 10.5 acres of land. This contract comes after the previously approved contract with Resort lifestyles was terminated by the buyer. In July 2022, Woodlake UMC voted to sell 9.5 acres of land to Resort Lifestyles. This initial contract was terminated by the potential buyer with no fault of our own. Since then, the property has been actively marketed over these last two years. The Woodlake Board of Trustees has been working diligently on this project and we have a new contract before us.
The sale of this property would enable Woodlake to eliminate existing mortgage debt. Eliminating the mortgage debt would allow Woodlake UMC to be financially healthy, so that we can bless our local and global mission partners, fulfill our denominational obligations, and begin to dream about new ways Woodlake can reach our community for Jesus.
We invite all church members to vote on this important decision on Sunday, May 19. Please note that only in-person votes will be counted, so it is important to attend this meeting. If you would like to learn more about the land sale, we are holding three information sessions in the coming weeks:
Land Sale Vote
The vote is not the end of the process. Here are the next steps:
The Trustees sign the agreement with Winmar Advisory LLC for the sale of the 10.5 acres by May 21, 2024. We then enter the following process:
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Feasibility Period: 180 days | May-Nov. 2024 This is the grace period for Winmar to back out without any financial consequences.
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Approval Period: 9-12 months | between Dec. 2024 – Nov. 2025 This is the timeframe for Winmar to apply for and receive all the approvals they need from the county. This is where all the planning meetings happen.
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Closing: 60 days after approvals | between Oct. 2025 - Jan. 2026
Throughout this process, Woodlake UMC will be in a time of prayer and discernment for ways to utilize the proceeds of the sale. We will also reconvene the ad hoc working team with members from Trustees, Finance, Stewardship, and a few at-large subject-matter experts to develop a recommendation to the Church Leadership Council on how to utilize the proceeds of the sale.
The trustees plan to follow the project through the approval period, representing the church at county planning meetings so that we can be good neighbors to each other and our community. They will keep the congregation up to date on the progress of the sale.
If you need any additional information on this important decision, please contact the church office during normal business hours at (804) 739-4535.
After holding a churchwide vote on Sunday, May 19, members of Woodlake UMC have approved the sale of 10.5 acres to Winmar Advisory LLC for $5.5 million with 134 votes in favor and 13 votes against. Thank you to all the members who attended, and to all the teams who worked hard to put the contract together.
