17 Oct 2009

Friendship House Bid Hits Snag; Sweeks Appeals to Community

The future of Friendship House still remains uncertain, as financing issues have erupted in a family’s bid to buy the property, renovate it, and install a daycare, medical offices and  residences there, jeopardizing the family’s winning bid.

Sonja Sweek and her family were the successful bidders on the historic property, which has a long and storied history since it was built in 1797, and is on the list of the 10 most endangered properties in Washington. It sits, at 18,000 square feet, mid-block at 7thand D Southeast, with a grand façade facing South Carolina Avenue Southeast. Since the current owners declared bankruptcy, the site has become rundown and is badly in need of repair.

On September 9, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge awarded Sweek the property, contingent of financing—they were given 45 days to get to closing. The runner-up bidder, PETA, will be awarded the right to buy the property if the Sweek bid fails.

In an appeal to the MOTH [Moms on the Hill parents listserv community], Sweek reported that, on Friday, the lender “made some new, unexpected demands that we will not be able to meet in the three weeks remaining to us to get to closing.” She asked the MOTH community to, if needed, write statements that family medicine and daycare were much needed on the Hill.

If Sweek doesn’t secure financing by Monday, Nov. 9, she will lose the opportunity to buy it, she said.

She is asking of anyone knows of a lender Sweek should talk to, “please let me know immediately, directly.”

All had been going as expected, and the Sweeks were working with the undisclosed lender and the title search had been completed.

Sweek said her family’s goal is to place at least two additional historical designations on the house.

“We really would like to make sure this property is preserved as both family legacy, and a community legacy. We want to weave the property and the activities there back into the fabric of the community. We ourselves have lived here on the Hill for nearly 10 years,” Sweek stated in her appeal.

“If you have any ideas for us – time is of the essence. On the 46th day, we will lose the opportunity to buy it.”

The family formed an  LLC, and Sweek’s  four adult children and  she plan to offer the following services in the property:

  1. “A beautiful, educational and top-flight daycare center for 80 children” overseen by Sweek, her son and her daughter, who are already licensed daycare providers on the Hill;
  2. A physician’s practice with one to three family medicine doctors (headed by Sweek’s daughter, a family medicine doctor; and
  3. in “Phase Three,” some family apartments so some of us can “live above the store, ” Old World-style.”

Sweek’s email is:  Cascadeast (at) erols(dot) com

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