Ali Zook, owner of the Bodhi Healing wellness center that’s intended to replace Stonegate Gardens, has had a major investor drop out and is hoping for a supporter with deep pockets to step in — to the tune of “several million dollars in project capital,” she said.
Bodhi’s use of the former nursery property was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals in June, but the “time sensitive” project may not go forward unless “a lead philanthropic donor, investor, or mission-aligned funding partner [can be] be identified in the near term,” she said.
She declined to name a precise figure because the construction and engineering estimates are still being refined, but the cost is high because of the need for extensive soundproofing to shut out noise from Route 117 traffic and the nearby railroad to ensure complete silence for meditation, yoga, and other offerings. The plan is to feature a yoga and movement studio, educational and community gathering spaces, private practitioner rooms, wellness technology suites, strength and conditioning spaces, and a small beverage-and-pastry café counter.
“A significant component of the work would involve rehabilitating or replacing portions of the glass-roof system,” she said.
Another sum in the six figures will be needed for equipment and to support operations for the first 18 months, after which the facility is expected to start making a profit.
Zook said she is investing money of her own and will probably take out a small-business loan as well.
Intuitive Wellness, a Weston-based personal training business, has said it would relocate its operations to the barn as an anchor partner, Zook said, adding that she has also received verbal commitments from three practitioners who plan to offer hyperbaric oxygen services, Ayurvedic care, and acupuncture. Paul Vittozzi, principal and CEO of Bancroft Construction, has also bene retained as Bodhi’s lead contractor.
“Many residents and others in Lincoln and surrounding communities have expressed genuine enthusiasm for repurposing Stonegate as a wellness and community-centered campus,” she said. “My hope is that sharing this update will reach someone within (or connected to) our community who feels drawn to the mission. That could be someone able to participate directly, or someone who can make the introduction that brings the right funding partner to the table.
“If we are unable to secure that capital, Bodhi may not be able to continue pursuing Stonegate under the current opportunity, and the owners would understandably continue evaluating the future of their property,” Zook added. “Bruce has every reason to be looking for other possibilities” for redeveloping the site.
Last April before the ZBA approved Bodhi, Stonegate owner Bruce MacDowell asked for feedback from the Planning Board about the possibility of building (in partnership with his brother Roy, head of Baystone Development in Weston) 144 two-story rental units occupying the nursery parcel plus one of the adjoining house lots Bruce owns for a total of 6.5 acres. The board said they would need to hear opinions from neighbors and the town as a whole before discussing any formal application.
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