OutCentral is now closed.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
After 10 Years, OutCentral closes its doors.
On May 15th, 2018, the current OutCentral board of directors voted to cease operations of the center. OutCentral’s 501c(3) status was recently revoked by the IRS as a result of subsequent years of un-filed taxes. In addition, due to recent flooding, all current activities at the center are currently cancelled. OutCentral will be vacating its Church Street location by June1st.
At the beginning of the year, new leadership unknowingly inherited several obstacles including several months back rent, unpaid rent of tenants, an unsustainable center development model, and three years of unfiled taxes. As a result of the back taxes, the IRS effectively revoked the 501c(3) status of the center on May 15th.
The center had also undergone significant stress in our tenancy, creating constrains of our daily operations. With the current ownership of the building being cited in a lawsuit, our lease was month-to-month. This prevented the center from functioning effectively, planning annual programming, and securing long-term office rental tenants, two major forms of income.
In addition, parking granted behind the building and exterior maintenance was suspended, making daily operations more stressful. Building maintenance had been ignored, placing the center responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the HVAC, facilities, and malfunctioning components. The lease, lack of parking and building repairs created uncertainty and proved unsustainable towards functional operations.
On May 15th, the OutCentral board of directors held and emergency meeting to review options moving forward. Upon professional consultation and review, it was deemed not feasible to repair the 501C3 status, which would create liability. In addition, settling the past debt was insurmountable.
At this time, the board of directors at OutCentral voted to not pursue reinstatement, donating remaining physical assets to other local nonprofits, and historical documents to the Brooks Fund. Remaining funds will go to back rent of the facilities. The current board voted to not pursue the reinstatement of the 501c3 nonprofit status, and ultimately close the center. As a result, we cannot accept any financial donations whatsoever.
OutCentral would like to acknowledge all the hard work put in by the founders, previous board members, volunteers and community partners we’ve walked with throughout our time serving the Nashville LGBT community. We thank you for the investment you have made into the lives of so many in the LGBT community. It has been an honor to serve the Nashville LGBT community. It has been our joy to serve this community and trust our work has served you well.
