Seven local organizations and nonprofits in Middle Shooks Run have until the end of June to find new office space as the city prepares to sell their building to address a budget shortfall.The properties at 702 and 704 East Bould er Street, known as the "Sustainacenter" and the former headquarters for the Office of Sustainability, have housed these local groups for years.The groups include: Hey Neighbor Colorado Native Plant Society Concrete Couch Kids on Bikes Fountain Creek Watershed District Mid Shooks Run Community Garden Trails and Open Space Coalition"Over the years transitioned into really kind of a nonprofit space for, for a multitude of organizations here in town. Trails and Open Space Coalition is just one of those. We've been here, you know, probably 10 plus years," Glenn Carlson said.Carlson is the executive director of the Trails and Open Space Coalition. He acknowledged the reality of the city's financial situation."Different economic cycles create different budget demands, and that's just where we're at right now. We're incredibly grateful that we've been allowed to use this space for a long time, absolutely below market rents," Carlson said.News5 reached out to the city to hear why they are selling the homes. "The City is pursuing the sale of two City-owned houses on Boulder Street that have previously been rented to nonprofit organizations. As part of last years budget process, the City evaluated where it could better focus on core responsibilities. The Boulder properties were identified as an opportunity to exit the business of being a landlord while also generating additional revenue for the City."The space has been a financial lifesaver for groups like Hey Neighbor and the Fountain Creek Watershed District."It's in-kind donation through the city, so the city's been really generous to let us have this office space in-kind. So that's really helpful for us small nonprofits with low budgets, and that has been hugely impactful for us," Kelly Bull said.Bull is the executive director of Hey Neighbor. She added that finding real estate is a challenge for the organizations. "We wear a lot of hats and commercial real estate is not one of them. I would love to have someone take that part off of our plates," Bull said.The nonprofits are currently searching for a new location where they can continue to work closely together and bounce ideas off each other. They are asking the community for help/"It's more than just a workspace, it's a hub for collaboration, education, volunteer engagement, coordination, and so much more," Mary Wilson said.Wilson is the outreach coordinator for the Fountain Creek Watershed District. She says there are many benefits of sharing a workspace."There's all sorts of overlap and the collaboration has just been amazing because of the proximity of us being so close," Bull said."Yeah, it's amazing how even the formal conversations can lead to such impactful projects, especially in the community," Wilson said.The city will be auctioning off the homes here within a month. But the organizations won't have to move out until June 30._______Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching. ...read more read less