RMEQ NEEDS MORE SPACE
RMEQ outgrew the space it occupied at 1443 Spruce St. (1,500 square feet). The new 10,000 square foot building allows space for new projects/programs and will serve our growing community and staff. One of the limitations of adding programs in the last building was space. RMEQ’s building could not house more than one event at a time or accommodate large groups. More physical space is critical to our expansion of services.
From 2020 to 2021 alone, RMEQ experienced a 30% increase in the number of adults reached in support groups, trainings, direct aid, and Speaking Out events, and a 500% increase in the number of youth reached. In 2021, we reached 1,583 adults and 978 youth.
With this new building, we have space for current we future staff and can provide income from other businesses renting space. It will also support our growing youth and adult programs, as well as LGBTQ+ BIPOC programs and events, additional trans support groups, and increased community events. The new space allows for daytime programming and the ability to host more than one group at a time.
MORE ROOM FOR OUR RAPIDLY GROWING YOUTH PROGRAM
RMEQ’s Youth Program continues to grow exponentially, and we finally have the space to accommodate its needs. The program has the entire bottom floor of the new building, meaning its been able to expand beyond just hosting weekly groups. We now house a community closet and an after school study space for youth who need access to computers to do homework. Our three weekly youth groups can also continue to grow in size without worrying about overcrowding the space.
BUYING INSTEAD OF RENTING
Buying the building made more sense financially. Leasing is more expensive on a monthly basis ($18k versus $11k/month). Purchasing allowed us to immediately start accumulating equity, helping to fund future growth/endeavors. We secured a low-interest loan and sizeable donations from anonymous generous donors to fund the down payment.
The Capital Campaign goal is $6 million. This includes paying off building loans and building improvements, as well as generating operational reserve. A million of this is dedicated to people and programs. The Capital Campaign is planned from April 2022 through April 2025, with the hope of achieving our goal even sooner.
OUR SPACE CAN BE USED BY OTHERS
This space is open to the LGBTQ+ community, its allies, stakeholders, legislative representatives, partner agencies, and aligned corporations. If you are interested in using the space, click here.
RECOGNIZING THE DONORS OF THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
We will recognize all donors to the campaign in a variety of ways, including annual reports and recognition in the building itself. Additionally, the names of those that are able to give $500 or more will be placed on a wall in the building.
LOCATION IS KEY
The location of the new space was a critical criterion in choosing the new facility. The building is located in Northeast Boulder, just off Foothills Parkway. The space has easy access to Highways 36 and 119, plenty of free parking, and is accessible via the RTD bus line and the Cottonwood Trail. This will make it even easier for our community members that don’t live in Boulder to visit.
We found this building with space for socializing, holding community group meetings, and for the staff to conduct their work, which meets our operational and programming needs today and into the near future.
