UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Habematolel Pomo tribe has purchased the former Westamerica Bank building in downtown Upper Lake.
Westamerica Bank closed the Upper Lake branch Oct. 16, donating it to Hospice Services of Lake County four days later, as Lake County News has reported.
Hospice Services Executive Director Corrigan Gommenginger said the sale to the tribe was finalized on Feb. 26.
The 3,000-square-foot building, built in 1959, is located at 9470 Main St. It has a kitchen, two bathrooms, a meeting space and 24 parking spots behind it, and sold for $250,000, according to Gommenginger.
“The purchase of the former bank property demonstrates the tribe's commitment to investing in the Upper Lake community,” said Tribal Chair Sherry Treppa.
Treppa said the purchase not only benefits Hospice Services of Lake County – which she called a worthy cause” – but provides the tribe a property to house and expand its economic enterprises.
The tribe is the owner of the nearby Running Creek Casino.
Gommenginger said Westamerica Bank representatives Sinda Knight and Lisa Kline visited his office last March to inform him that they were closing the bank branch and intended to donate the building to his organization. It was the latest in a number of donations the bank had made to Hospice Services over the years.
He said the Hospice Services Board of Directors later voted to accept the bank building, discussing how it could support the organization's mission.
At the Hospice Services September strategic planning retreat, the board and staff considered many options for the building, including renting or selling it, Gommenginger said.
“We had a number of discussions and we had a number of ideas,” Gommenginger said.
However, no particular idea stood out, he said.
Among the options that Gommenginger said had been considered was another thrift store. Hospice Services has successfully run three thrift shops in Lakeport, Clearlake and Middletown, which have continued to see strong donations from the community even during the Valley fire.
Hospice Services reached out to the Upper Lake community to get ideas for the building. When the thrift shop idea was proposed to the community, “That wasn't really what they wanted,” but rather a retail business or a restaurant that would bring people to town, Gommenginger said.
“At the end of the day, we were kind of open,” he said.
However, it was during that community outreach process that Gommenginger said Hospice Services learned that the tribe was interested in the building for much-needed office space, which in turn would bring people into Upper Lake.
Gommenginger said the tribe approached Hospice Services about the building during the holidays, making the offer that ultimately was finalized with the sale in February.
When Westamerica Bank donated the building to Hospice Services, it included a deed restriction preventing the building from being used as a bank for 10 years. Gommenginger said that deed restriction is binding on the tribe as part of the sale's terms.
He said Hospice Services – which has a roughly $4 million annual budget – will use the proceeds from the building's sale to ensure that hospice care and bereavement services continue for many generations.
While hospice care is covered 100-percent by Medicare, Medi-Cal and most private insurance, Gommenginger said Hospice Services is committed to caring for those with serious illness, regardless of medical coverage and ability to pay.
In 2015, Hospice Services provided $78,000 in uncompensated care. Gommenginger said Hospice Services is seeing an increase in Hispanic community members who are using the services but don't have coverage of any kind.
In response, he said the organization's board is looking at using the building sale proceeds to create a perpetual program to ensure hospice care for anyone who needs it.
For more information about the care that Hospice Services of Lake County, visit www.lakecountyhospice.org or call 707-263-6222.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Hospice Services sells former bank building to Habematolel Pomo tribe
- Elizabeth Larson
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