Nonprofit Cy-Hope and the Cypress campus of Bayou City Fellowship will become permanent residents at the Northwest Forest Conference Center.[/caption]
After months of discussion, one Cy-Fair nonprofit and one local church closed Jan. 29 on separate deals to purchase property at Northwest Forest Conference Center at 12715 Telge Road, Cypress.
Cy-Hope, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing opportunity to children in the Cy-Fair area, has purchased 8.9 acres, including several log cabins and a replica building of the Alamo. The move will allow the organization to double its counseling space and provides staff with more office space, Director Lynda Zelenka said.
“We were looking for expansion opportunities because we knew we had to do something to give us more room, especially for counseling,” she said.
The Cy-Hope purchase also includes roughly three acres of walking trails around a pond. Zelenka cited the serene environment as another benefit.
“You pull in and you just have that calming feeling,” she said. “We also have a pool, which can be used for pool therapy, and the serenity of walking along the pond has its own therapeutic benefits.”
Cy-Hope is planning a fundraising effort to help pay for renovations, which Zelenka said would serve to modernize the facility while keeping the old-fashioned charm. She said she hopes to move in sometime over the summer.
Bayou City Fellowship—which has been leasing space and hosting worship services at Northwest Forest for two years—has purchased more than 30 acres including the Settlement House and another 10 buildings closer to Telge Road.
The fact that BCF members are already familiar with the venue is a major benefit, Cypress Campus Pastor Robbie Seay said. Roughly 1,200-1,300 people attend services on an average Sunday, he said.
“We like that we can strengthen our place in this community without having to launch a capital campaign and lock ourselves into a huge, brand new building,” Seay said. “We will do some cosmetic changes to make it feel more like us, but have no major renovations planned.”
Lead Pastor Curtis Jones said by solidifying its residence, BCF has gone from a gathering place to a launching pad with more opportunities to reach out to and benefit the community.
"In any neighborhood where you're an owner, you have a different connection to your neighbors than when you're a renter," he said. "We're excited to be able to plant our roots, put our sign up and start building that familiarity."
BCF has also arranged to let Cypress Young Life officials use some of their buildings for office space, Seay said. He said the church could look to form other partnerships to allow groups with like-minded missions to use their space.
The fact that they are moving into Northwest Forest along with Cy-Hope is far from random, Seay said.
“We may not have the same mission, but our missions have a lot in common,” he said. “They serve our school district beautifully, and there is an obvious connection point. We are hoping to turn this into an epicenter for what’s good about our community.”
The conference center was developed in 1987 by Kwik Kopy founder Bud Hadfield as a 100-acre training campus for Kwik Kopy employees. The main Kwik Kopy building will remain on site and will continue to serve as the company’s headquarters.
Nonprofit Cy-Hope and the Cypress campus of Bayou City Fellowship will become permanent residents at the Northwest Forest Conference Center.[/caption]
After months of discussion, one Cy-Fair nonprofit and one local church closed Jan. 29 on separate deals to purchase property at Northwest Forest Conference Center at 12715 Telge Road, Cypress.
Cy-Hope, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing opportunity to children in the Cy-Fair area, has purchased 8.9 acres, including several log cabins and a replica building of the Alamo. The move will allow the organization to double its counseling space and provides staff with more office space, Director Lynda Zelenka said.
“We were looking for expansion opportunities because we knew we had to do something to give us more room, especially for counseling,” she said.
The Cy-Hope purchase also includes roughly three acres of walking trails around a pond. Zelenka cited the serene environment as another benefit.
“You pull in and you just have that calming feeling,” she said. “We also have a pool, which can be used for pool therapy, and the serenity of walking along the pond has its own therapeutic benefits.”
Cy-Hope is planning a fundraising effort to help pay for renovations, which Zelenka said would serve to modernize the facility while keeping the old-fashioned charm. She said she hopes to move in sometime over the summer.
Bayou City Fellowship—which has been leasing space and hosting worship services at Northwest Forest for two years—has purchased more than 30 acres including the Settlement House and another 10 buildings closer to Telge Road.
The fact that BCF members are already familiar with the venue is a major benefit, Cypress Campus Pastor Robbie Seay said. Roughly 1,200-1,300 people attend services on an average Sunday, he said.
“We like that we can strengthen our place in this community without having to launch a capital campaign and lock ourselves into a huge, brand new building,” Seay said. “We will do some cosmetic changes to make it feel more like us, but have no major renovations planned.”
Lead Pastor Curtis Jones said by solidifying its residence, BCF has gone from a gathering place to a launching pad with more opportunities to reach out to and benefit the community.
"In any neighborhood where you're an owner, you have a different connection to your neighbors than when you're a renter," he said. "We're excited to be able to plant our roots, put our sign up and start building that familiarity."
BCF has also arranged to let Cypress Young Life officials use some of their buildings for office space, Seay said. He said the church could look to form other partnerships to allow groups with like-minded missions to use their space.
The fact that they are moving into Northwest Forest along with Cy-Hope is far from random, Seay said.
“We may not have the same mission, but our missions have a lot in common,” he said. “They serve our school district beautifully, and there is an obvious connection point. We are hoping to turn this into an epicenter for what’s good about our community.”
The conference center was developed in 1987 by Kwik Kopy founder Bud Hadfield as a 100-acre training campus for Kwik Kopy employees. The main Kwik Kopy building will remain on site and will continue to serve as the company’s headquarters.
