CMDFW Acquires Property in Melissa
A Mission on the Prairie
The CMDFW Board of Directors (BOD) had been considering the purchase of acreage for further expansion of the mission for the past two years and had looked at several properties in the process. The dream was realized this year with the acquisition of 28 acres of land in Melissa TX.
The beginning…
It started with a casual conversation near the corn roasting grill outside the barn at Myers Park in McKinney during the 2007 Chinmaya Mission Picnic. One of the board members, Sunil Maini initiated the discussion with another member, Mr. Sante Chary and Manju Menon about how wonderful it would be to have a place of our own to host the Holi celebration for 1000+folks who had turned out for the event. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Chary put us in touch with a nonagenarian, with a penchant for story-telling, Mr. Ervin Bryan Arnold. Mr. Arnold lived on a 28-acre farm in Melissa, Texas, just 3 miles from Central Expressway and was interested in selling his property. We engaged in several conversations with Mr. Arnold and discovered that his property was flat as only a prairie could be, had a 2,000 SF home in good condition, an 800 SF garage, a 6,000 SF barn (wow!), a pond and great frontage on Rd FM 2933. The price was quite reasonable. The wheels were set in motion…
Melissa who?
The only Melissa any of us had encountered before this was the name of a person, not a city! So we started our due diligence. We found that the City of Melissa, off Exit 45 on Central Expressway is doing everything needed to become the next destination for selective developments. They already have a thick set of planning and zoning guidelines which cities like Plano and Frisco started writing only after the first several years of missteps in development! Collin County Development is working with TXDOT on plans for an Outer Loop Highway that will have at least 3 exits to Melissa on Hwy 75, Hwy 121 and Hwy 5. FM 2933 on which the property is located is slated to become a 6-lane road in the future. Recent market activity showed that the price quoted by Mr. Arnold was the lowest for the area. Armed with all this information, our savvy developer, board member, Mr. Nanoo Patel asked the CMDFW BOD take a serious look at this property.
To buy or not to buy?
We set up a series of appointments to visit the property with board members. After the first visit, our Acharya Uddhavji was already contemplating an organic farm to rival Central Market! Everyone liked what they saw. There was no doubt that the property had a great upside potential in the near-term and most definitely in the long term. However, some questions remained. Would the location work for our existing and growing congregation? Would it be a fiscally responsible decision? How do we balance this purchase with the need for more space in the Coppell/Flower Mound area? These were weighty issues not to be taken lightly or hastily. The CM BOD deliberated over the next few months, seeking input from several members and ultimate guidance from Pujya Guruji Tejomayananda. By October, we got the green light from Guruji. It was indeed the right time and right use of funds for CMDFW to acquire a property that would allow immediate start of a satellite center, while providing ample room for future development.
Mission accomplished… for now
Finally, in November 2007, the CMDFW Board made an offer to purchase the property, which was accepted by the owners. The closing date was set for sometime in February 2008. Sadly, in the mean time, the high-spirited, Mr. Arnold passed away. We were able to complete the title transfer formalities with his heirs and finally closed the deal on February 19, 2008. It was a momentous occasion for CMDFW. Now the real work begins, as we start the transformation of the prairie into a place of worship, learning, satsang and retreat with blessings from Pujya Gurudev and continued support from our members.
Meanwhile, there is a good possibility that Mr. Arnold is busy regaling Gurudev about the good times he had on the prairie, while Gurudev is telling him that the best is yet to be!
For pictures of the property, closing & bhumi puja please visit our photo gallery.
