Grilliot said her organization had conversations with county leaders about possibly selling the property to the county.
Montgomery County officials ultimately moved in another direction when “an agreement on terms, primarily on price, could not be reached,” according to a Montgomery County spokesperson.
Montgomery County leaders announced in February that they would not be renewing their lease with St. Vincent de Paul for the county’s job center, which houses part of the Department of Job and Family Services.
Montgomery County Administrator Michael Colbert said the county was paying roughly $4 million annually to rent the 300,000 square-foot space, with its current lease agreement expiring at the end of this May.
Grilliot said that the loss of a tenant for the Edwin C. Moses property is the loss of steady income for the organization, which focuses on housing, pantry and other community-based services.
“There are headwinds that come out of this,” she said. “So yes, it’s an opportunity, but that opportunity also comes with challenges.”
The Montgomery County commission recently approved a $500,000 land purchase agreement for the future site of its job center. The $45 million project will see the addition of a new county building to Forest Park in Harrison Twp., near Haines Children’s Center and Stillwater Center.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul bought the building more than 30 years ago. The Edwin C. Moses property last year was valued at more than $9 million, according to Montgomery County Auditor’s Office property records.
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