The Candela Building. Photo by Ron Bailey
Leonardtown, MD — The town of Leonardtown is about to get its own home. The Commissioners of Leonardtown at their April 11 meeting introduced a resolution to purchase the Candela Building on Washington Street across from Winegardner Chevrolet. The total purchase price is $659,427 and includes some interior renovations by the current owner, Rainbow Construction of Waldorf.
Rainbow purchased the former First National Bank building and the adjacent Candela Building in January. They are developing the bank building into first floor retail space and second floor apartments.
In an earlier life the Candela Building was the Leonardtown Supermarket. When that store closed it remained vacant until the former bank purchased and renovated it for office and meeting space. The renovations that will be done to the interior include closing off the access between the two buildings.
The carpet will also be replaced but other than that, Town Manager Laschelle McKay said the building is pretty much ready for occupancy. She said the building includes a large room upstairs that will be ideal for a meeting room for the council. McKay said it is anticipated the move to the new town hall will take place in July.
The town currently owns two condominium units on the second floor of the Proffitt Building across from the courthouse and leases space on the ground floor, where the town council meeting room is located. McKay said the town will sell the condominium units.
Those condo units were received in a swap with the town for the ownership of the land on which the building now sits. The town formerly owned a small house on the property that was used as a town hall. After that space was abandoned because it was not large enough, the town leased space for a time in Tudor Hall before moving to the Proffitt Building.
Mayor Dan Burris at the April 11 meeting said the town will come out ahead with the savings of the rent and the sale of the condo units. And Councilman Tom Combs added that the town would wind up with more space for growth.
The actual purchase price of the building is $525,000 with the additional monies for the work to get the building ready for occupancy by the town. That work includes painting the first floor walls in addition to the carpeting and removal of the passage way between the two buildings.
The town council is expected to ratify the resolution introduced at the April 11 meeting at a special meeting scheduled for Monday, April 18 at 5:45 p.m.
Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com