The decision to sell the Canton Chamber of Commerce building on Hanford Road has met with some strong opinions on social media.
One commenter, Mike Gerou, noted that the chamber has existed since 1972 to promote local business. He posted that he and his brother joined the chamber in 1987 and that many of the pillars of the community contributed their time, talent and treasures to the organization.
Chamber officials explained the proposed sale of the 2,482 square foot building at 45525 Hanford Road in an email to members. “After careful consideration and strategic planning, the board of directors has made the decision to put our current office building on the market for sale, the email stated. “This move is driven by our unwavering dedication to enhance our services and support for our valued members and the broader community we serve”.
Gerou noted in one Facebook post that “The original plan was to build our own building within a defined target area of Canton i.e. between Ford and Warren and between Haggerty and roughly Canton Center which at the time was the heart of Canton's small business community. The idea was to get the building paid off in short order through some specific fundraising events to create a permanent home in the community with low operating costs going forward. Unfortunately, that never materialized.” Gerou posted on Facebook.
He added that while times have changed and perhaps chambers of commerce are now less relevant, membership is well below half the peak membership.
“I would like to thank all of the people who spent countless hours on the building committee marching through the snow to explore potential locations, make a selection, buy the land and then get the building built as well as all of the generous donors to this project. It was a worthy effort,” his post continued.
He said the chamber membership has “dwindled to about 300 members so the plan is to downsize. Businesses cannot spend more than their revenue and continue to exist. A non-profit organization formed to promote businesses in Canton should emulate good business practices. Either increase membership (revenues) or decrease expenses (salaries and rent),” he posted.
Gerou noted that while it may be necessary and a good business decision to sell the building, the sale of the building is a valuable asses that exists “only because of the hundreds of hours of volunteer time and thousands of dollars of donations by generous members from year's gone by.”
He suggested that none of the funds generated from the sale be spent on operational expenses of the chamber, such as salaries and rent.
“No one donated money to build this structure so that it could be liquidated to pay salaries or rent. That money should be put in trust to promote businesses and business activities in the Canton Community. The CCC should be providing fishing poles for local business not buying fish dinners for its employees,” Gerou posted.
He suggested that members of the community who agree with his position contact the members of the chamber board and express their opinion regarding the use of any funding generated from the sale of the building.
One commenter, identified as Bartley J. Patterson, agreed with Gerou. He posted, “Too many people worked like dogs and built something very unique. It's a shame to see it end this way. What about all of the people who sponsored the wall, and the brick paver porch? All of the people who have lifelong supporters. All of that goes away?”
In the letter to members, board members explained that the decision to sell the building was “not made lightly” but that they believed the move would “enable us to better allocate our resources and fulfill our mission more effectively.” The board assured members that the sale and change of office location would not alter the mission of the organization.
“Our commitment to fostering a vibrant business community remains steadfast and our utmost focus,” the letter stated.
The letter assured chamber members that updates would be forthcoming regarding the proposed sale and transition to a new location, “ensuring that our services remain accessible and efficient.”
More information is available at cantonchamber.org.
