Comtrea has purchased the building at 238 E. Main St. in Festus where Townsend Heating & Cooling has operated since the early 2000s.
The new Townsend Heating & Cooling owners have moved its base of operations to Fenton.
Comtrea paid $275,000 for the building, which is across the street from it administrative office at 227 E. Main St., Comtrea chief executive officer Sue Curfman said.
The sale was finalized on Dec. 18.
The 4,000-square-foot building provides Comtrea, a nonprofit health organization that offers health care services around the county, more room for its operations.
Curfman said the organization needs the additional space.
“To have a building right across the street from our Festus location … it’s one of our three primary sites for behavioral health services,” Curfman said. “The other two are in Arnold and Hillsboro. The challenge in Festus has been we don’t have sufficient space. It was a good opportunity.”
Comtrea officials are in the process of deciding how best to use the new building, said chief operating officer Lisa Rothweiler.
“We’re looking to a campus-type environment,” Rothweiler said. “Services would be within walking distance of each other.
“We are still reviewing the renovations we want for the services we would provide in the building.”
Curfman said no timeline on Comtrea’s renovation efforts and eventual use of the building have been set because the organization currently is focused on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly distributing COVID vaccinations.
“Our plans are pushed back because of our obligations about COVID,” she said.
Townsend moves
In November, Townsend Heating & Cooling moved to 1808 Larkin Williams Road in Fenton, in a building that also houses Victorian Sales.
Both businesses are owned by Austin and Misty Townsend, who took over Townsend Heating & Cooling when Austin’s parents, Richard and Linda Townsend, retired in November after running the business for 42 years.
Victorian Sales sells gas-burning products, wood-burning products, fireplaces, grills and other items.
“I worked for my parents for about 10 years and did heating and cooling install,” Austin said. “I bought Victorian Sales about 10 years ago. When my parents talked about retiring, I knew everybody there. I said, ‘Why don’t we put the two businesses together?’”
He said all three Townsend employees – two full-time employees and one subcontractor – have remained with Townsend Heating & Cooling after the move.