At its regular monthly meeting on August 23, 2018, Town Council passed, without dissent, a resolution authorizing "the sale or disposition of Town-owned property located at 14-16 South Madison Street, known as the Health Center Building, to Hip Hop Real Estate, LLC on behalf of Old Ox Brewery.

The Town is requesting $750,000 for the building and associated property.

The "Health Center" building once held the offices of Dr. Robert E. McConnell, MD, hence its nickname. Dr. McConnell willed the property to the town at his death in 1987 with the proviso that all "profits" from rental income be distributed by the Town to worthy charitable organizations.

Over more than a quarter century the building has provided office and residential space for a constantly changing parade of tenants, and for many years served as Middleburg's Police Headquarters.

Current plans call for Old Ox Brewery to install a "small brewing system" on the site and open both a tasting room and an "outdoor beer garden." Current tenants, according to Old Ox, will be invited to "remain in the building."

In addition to retaining control over some uses of the building, the Town insisted on "the right of first refusal" should the property be again put up for sale, and for the town to receive "a portion", some 95%, "of any profit realized from the resale of the property within eighteen months of the brewery opening...."

In keeping with the spirit and intent of Dr. McConnell's original gift, the proceeds from the sale of the property will be "invested in a separate Town account" and with the income derived from it "to be used by the Town Council for charitable purposes."

Precisely how the Town intends to invest or otherwise manage the funds derived from the sale has yet to be determined. The appointment of a special Town Council advisory committee with appropriate financial expertise has been discussed as one solution.