The world of Nxivm is disappearing before our very eyes.
The Nxivm clubhouse – named Apropos – on 1475 Route 9 in Halfmoon NY – used for years by Nxivm as a nearby gathering place for meetings – was sold for $650,000 to the owner of a nearby liquor store.
The Apropos location was minutes from where Keith Raniere and many of his followers lived in Knox Woods.
Nxivm’s main teaching facility in Colonie was a good 15-20 minutes drive away.
Clare Bronfman, the current leader of Nxivm, and its longtime director of operations, signed the deed filed Wednesday in the Saratoga County clerk’s office.
She sold the property to Michael R. Klimkewicz [MRK Real Property LLC.] Klimkewicz owns Halfmoon Wine & Liquor which is in the Crescent Commons retail plaza right next to Apropos on Route 9. Fred the Butcher, a popular local meat market is in between them..
Klimkewicz told BizJournals that he might plan to develop the Apropos property saying that “the location and traffic counts are ideal …. as a restaurant or to redevelop… into a bank, fast-food restaurant or other use.”
The building is 6,000 square feet and sits on a 1.5 acre site with a parking lot.
“If you walk into the place, you’ll see it’s all up to code,” Klimkewicz told Bizjournals. “They did a good job maintaining the building. The exterior needs some work.”
Nxivm bought the property in 2006 for $650,000 which means that despite owning it for 13 years, they did not get a dime more than they paid for it.
However, when Nxivm [with Bronfman money] bought the vacant building – it had formerly been an Italian restaurant named Romanos – it required substantial work.
It is estimated that Nxivm [Bronfman mony] spent several hundred thousand dollars remodeling the property and bringing it up to code.
A controversy arose back when they first purchased the property when the planning board of Half Moon did not want to approve having the secretive group move in to teach.
Nxivm officials assured the town planning board that they would only use the property as a café and clubhouse and that there would be no conference rooms or training.
Of course, they lied and Nxivm has used the property for years for classes and training.
There was a private café [not open to the public] called Apropos. There, Nxivm members could go and pay for high-priced,low-calorie vegetarian food and meet with coaches and other Nxivm members.
Klimkewicz is not known to have any association with Nxivm and is not believed to have taken any courses,
First National Bank of Scotia loaned him $350,000 for the purchase.
He told Bizjournals, “I own the land around it. It makes sense and it fits into my portfolio.”
Klimkewicz also said he sees no reason why Nxivm’s prior ownership would deter someone from leasing or redeveloping the site.
As far as is known, there were no brandings that took place on the property.
India Oxenberg and Allison Mack leave Apropos after a Jness class held there.
NY Times magazine contributor Vanessa Grigoriadis and Sara Bronfman leave Apropos after a Jness training. Grigoriadis was the first media person in some 14 years to have access to the cult.
