BELLOWS FALLS-Created more than a decade ago, the Bellows Falls Community Bike Project has passed a major milestone: purchasing its longtime home at 30 Henry St.
On March 17 the Bike Project bought the building from 30 Henry Street LLC. It has operated out of this space since 2016.
"We have our roots right here, and can continue serving the community," said Bike Project Founder and Director Bonnie Anderson, as she was handed the keys from Alan LaCombe, the building's owner. "Thanks to our supporters, volunteers, and the community."
30 Henry Street LLC had owned the property since 2010, according to filings with the Rockingham Town Clerk's Office.
Anderson said that funds raised by the end of August 2024 to buy the building totaled over $80,000, a sum that, along with nearly $10,000 in donated professional services, is letting the nonprofit buy the building outright without needing a mortgage.
Anderson credited the idea of buying the building to Fred Tipton, a former shop manager, assistant director, and head mechanic who died unexpectedly in 2021. Anderson said that Tipton had been an integral part of the development of the bike program, and she was glad to see his concept for the Project's future coming to fruition.
She said that she started the Bike Project based on the success of a similar organization - the Old Spokes Home - based in Burlington, where she had lived, and she launched the Bellows Falls Community Bike Project when she returned to the area.
Anderson's initial goal for the project was to provide a space for people, especially young people, to have access to bicycles, to learn bicycle repair, to learn safe riding skills, and to repair and recycle affordable used bicycles.
"Our vision is a flourishing culture of bicycling as a means of alternative transportation, self-sufficiency and overall wellness," the Project says in its mission statement.
Third headquarters is the charm
The Bike Project was operated on a shoestring budget with very limited storage space when it started in September 2013, Anderson remembers. Then it got its first official headquarters at 24 Canal St.
At that point, the organization formed a board of directors, started regular fundraisers, and received grant help from various funding sources.
In 2016, the Bike Project moved to Henry Street into a former laundromat and dry cleaner with a vacant apartment space on the second floor that Anderson says will now be used for much-needed storage. Because of the building's former life, environmental testing and cleanup have been parts of the sales process.
"Owning this place will save us a lot of money in the long run," Anderson said. "Now we can make necessary changes in the building."
The project plans to paint, insulate, and further clean the former laundromat and dry cleaning space, as well as repair the parking lot.
Anderson made it clear that the project doesn't buy bikes, but the organization takes them as donations, fixes them up, and sells them at a good price.
During the warmer months, it averages three to four bike sales a day, in addition to its repair work and bike customizing work.
"We don't turn people away if they need a bike," she said. "We want to make sure that everyone who needs a bike gets one."
The Bike Project also runs a full-service repair shop, under the leadership of Daniel Hoviss, its manager and head mechanic.
Hundreds of student volunteers have come to the shop over the years to learn bike repair skills, Anderson said, calling it an unofficial after-school activity for many kids. The shop is just a block or so away from the Bellows Falls Middle School, making it a convenient after-school drop-in location.
Volunteers needed
On Saturday, April 26, the Bike Project will host its annual Silent Auction Fundraiser at the Bellows Falls Loyal Order of Moose Lodge, 59 Westminster St., from 6 to 9 p.m.
The event will feature live music, dancing, food, a cash bar, a 50/50 raffle, and a silent auction of items donated by area businesses. The $20 entry fee includes one free raffle ticket.
The Bike Project always needs more volunteers to perform a range of tasks on the hundreds of bikes it receives each year, from fixing them to washing and cleaning them.
In addition, the Project offers regular repair classes and hosts a weekly youth riding group during biking season.
Anderson said that the project will start a new bike repair class and other programs.
"Our biggest goal is to get more people riding bikes," she said.
The Community Bike Project, 30 Henry St., is open Tuesday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is closed Sunday and Monday. Contact the Project at [email protected] or 802-460-0662, or visit bfbike.org.
This News item by Robert F. Smith was written for The Commons.