Beckley Common Council hears details of proposed lease agreement with Fruits of Labor for first time
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — For months, local business owners have asked Beckley Common Council to set a lease agreement with Fruits of Labor Cafe, a popular downtown eatery. Fruits of Labor has a non-profit recovery chef training program and shares the space with another non-profit, Seed Sower.
Since 2023, Fruits of Labor has operated in the city-owned building without paying a lease and without a lease agreement.
On Monday, April 15, 2024, members of council and other city officials met with Fruits of Labor owner Tammy Jordan and Seed Sower representatives to discuss a lease agreement.
Some members of the council said the workshop was the first time they learned of a verbal agreement between Jordan and city officials.
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“Tammy said, early in the game, she was told that she could lease that building for like a thousand dollars a month,” said Councilman Tom Sopher, who represents Ward 1. “But City Council was never informed of that.”
Councilwoman Janine Bullock (Ward 5) said she had not been informed of the informal agreement struck on the lease.
“I was not notified, and I don’t believe any other council members were notified either,” Councilwoman Bullock said.
In order for the lease to be legal, Beckley Common Council must first approve it with a vote.
“Fruits of Labor wants to have an 18-month lease agreement of a thousand dollars a month, and not required to do the maintenance, upkeep, of the building, and so now us as council [have] to sit down and come up with an agreement,” said At-Large Councilman Cody Reedy, who led council on the push to get a lease agreement in place with Fruits of Labor.
Councilman Sopher said Jordan had informed city officials, prior to moving into the building and establishing her business, that she could pay only $1,000 per month.
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He pointed out that the business had operated for a year without paying a lease and said he would consider assets and other factors before agreeing to an amount.
“We need to get to a common ground. I think the mission is good,” said Councilman Sopher. “We like what she’s doing. The building does have an occupant in it, which is important, but I hope she can find a way to pay us a little more.”
Councilman Reedy said he was open to selling the building outright to Fruits of Labor as long as the city did not incur a loss.
The city purchased the building from a Beckley restauranteur for $850,000 in 2021.
Beckley Common Council members said they planned to go into an executive session during the regular meeting of Council on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, to discuss and possibly set terms of an official lease agreement.
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