Closing doesn’t happen for nearly a week, but Plumb Place is officially changing hands.
On Wednesday, Lyon County Judge Jeff Larson approved the sale of the Plumb Place home and property to Chris Stanley, the former owner of Stanley Jewelry in downtown Emporia. The price as listed in court documents is $240,000, above the asking price of $199,000. Stanley tells KVOE News she’s relieved and excited for Larson’s decision. Her initial priorities? The basement and air conditioning.
Painting, bee removal, column repair, tree trimming, a kitchen redesign and other projects are all ahead. Closing is set for July 12.
Stanley’s bid, submitted this past spring, outshone several other submitted bids, including publicized plans from Eli Fowler to use the space as apartments and temperature-controlled storage and Jarrod and Clarine Hibler’s idea of living in the home. The bid process eventually led to “numerous” bids with various contingency plans and terms. Stanley believes an Airbnb will be good for downtown Emporia.
While Stanley plans to renovate the home for personal use and an Airbnb, sale proceeds will help to revive the Plumb Place agency, which has been dormant since the building ended its century-long operations of serving women in crisis in december 202 due to longstanding financial issues and the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the next 60 days, and possibly within the next 45, attorney Bob Symmonds will submit a proposal to discharge receiver Kevin Flott and also to appoint a new board for Plumb Place. A tentative board is currently in place. The effort continues to restore and possibly expand Plumb Place services to women with children at one or more locations across town.
United Way of the Flint Hills CEO Mickey Edwards will have more details on KVOE’s Newsmaker segment at 7:20 am Thursday.
