St. James R-1 School District will continue to lease the old firehouse, known as the Firehouse Coffee Shop, from the city to use for the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP).

The city approved renewing the lease at its April 13 Board of Aldermen meeting and the district did the same at its May 20 Board of Education meeting.

Student volunteers operate the coffee shop after school hours, teaching them entrepreneurial skills and job readiness. The extension will allow the district to continue operating its programs in the building. Funds generated through sales are used to create grants for other student organizations in the community.

YEP renovated the building in 2011, turning it into a safe space for students to congregate following a tragic school bus accident that took the lives of two St. James students the year prior. The vision was that of local youth pastor and teacher Terrill Story, and the coffee shop has since become a supportive place for students to work and socialize.

The city allows the school district to use the building at no charge for monthly rent, aside from paying utilities. In the previous lease, the district was responsible for any repairs under $500, and the city handled major repairs above that, such as HVAC or roofing.

“The most substantial change (in the drafted lease) was that the city had asked that the school district take over any maintenance to the building during that time,” Superintendent Tim Webster said. “I did not personally feel comfortable with that, nor did our attorneys when they were looking at it, so we’d asked them to make some adjustments.”

Instead, the school district and city have agreed to meet for a roundtable discussion to mutually agree on the financials for any repairs or maintenance that may be needed.

“This is a building that’s getting up there in age,” City Administrator Leeann DeMouche said. “And it might be something, if it’s expensive, we put it maybe on our Capital Improvement Plan or we do some kind of campaign for donations to fix the firehouse together. So it’s a very joint venture.”

The district also agrees to keeping an insurance policy, waiving the city of any liability issue which might arise while the district uses the facility. Another change made to the renewed lease requires the student volunteers to present to the Board of Aldermen at the end of each year, outlining their duties and what they have learned. The students’ instructor will also be presenting a financial report.

“Because we do not charge them to use (the building) and since we are a public entity, they do need to provide some kind of service,” DeMouche explained.

Both boards unanimously approved the lease renewal. The Board of Aldermen voiced their support for the district’s efforts to empower students through the venture.