Julie Gosselink, Orlan Mitchell, and Monica Chavez-Silva represent three community groups partnering to purchase the property at 619 Broad Street.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Future Plans for Former Church Include Mayflower

A new Grinnell organization, West Broad Investors, LLC, has a dream for the former Assembly of God Church property in Grinnell.

The group recently purchased the property at 619 Broad St. to provide future expansion opportunities for the Mayflower Community.

“It made sense for the Mayflower Community,” says Bob Mann, executive director, Mayflower Community. “Our main campus is directly across the street. We are grateful to all the partners who have come together to make this purchase happen."

The West Broad Investors includes individual local private investors, the Mayflower Foundation, the Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation, and Grinnell College Trustees. 

The largest investor in the West Broad Investor group is the Mayflower Foundation, which exists to provide financial and other support for the Mayflower Community.

"This property is ideally suited for a variety of opportunities for Mayflower. The foundation’s goal is to invest in the Grinnell community for senior citizens, including healthcare and living options. Investing in the future of Grinnell also serves well for Mayflower," says Orlan Mitchell, a member of the Mayflower Foundation board.

Both Grinnell College and the Ahrens Foundation are committed to the vitality of Grinnell.

"Grinnell College was attracted to this particular investment opportunity for several reasons. Not only do we appreciate Mayflower as a neighbor and community citizen with similar interests, but we also appreciate that there are several other partners at the table—making this is a true community initiative,” says Monica Chavez-Silva, the college’s director of community enhancement and engagement.

Grinnell College owns the Old Glove Factory and the property along the west side of Broad Street from Second to Third Avenue. Mayflower’s Harwich Terrace Homes are located across the street along the same block of Broad Street.

"Our stake in this project is simple. This is just another way for the Ahrens Foundation to support healthcare needs and facilities in our community. We are pleased to join efforts with other community partners in this project," says Julie Gosselink, president and CEO of the Ahrens Foundation. 

Immediate plans for the property include a rummage salvage sale at the 619 Broad St. property. Items for sale include furniture, a piano, and cabinet sets. The sale will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, June 12. The public is encouraged to come to the sale and shop. Proceeds of the sale will be used to replace floor covering in Mayflower’s Health Center.  

The Mayflower Community was founded in 1950 through the efforts of Grinnell citizens to provide support services for retired persons with limited financial means. Today, more than 220 people make their homes in the Mayflower Community’s healthcare and independent living apartment and patio homes.  

Malcom Lumber