Following an extensive Community Redevelopment Agency meeting Monday evening to discuss Midtown developers, city commissioners had a rather short agenda in the commission meeting.
The city now is the proud owner of a property at 404 W. Mahoney St. after commissioners unanimously agreed to pay $300,000, plus closing costs, for the Boarding House. The city will have until Feb. 15 to exercise the option and the funds came from the Capital Improvement Projects Fund.
“The plan is to demolish the building,” City Manager Bill McDaniel said.
The city has been strategically working on acquiring property near city hall and the library so if there is ever a need it wouldn’t find itself boxed into downtown. In November 2018, commissioners authorized a contract to Rex Farlow Construction, Inc. to remodel the Planteen Recreation Center’s kitchen for $82,245. The work is underway and McDaniel said is close to be completed. However, several issues not included in the scope of the contract were discovered.
In January, McDaniel approved a change of $6,700 to address some sanitary sewer and storm sewer issues. Monday evening commissioners approved a second change to address potable water supply to the older section of the building, which includes the kitchen area. Due to the cost of $10,800 the commissioners had to approve the change.
“The center was outdated and it had some infrastructure problem,” McDaniel said. “It had three blockages and some of the original construction was not correct. So we’re correcting all that kind of stuff. It should be done here in the next month or so.”
Commissioner Mike Sparkman and Vice Mayor Nate Kilton were reappointed as members of the Board of Trustees of the Safety Employees Retirement System for a term of four years as well during the meeting.
Two public hearings were set for the commission meeting on Feb. 25. One is regarding a voluntary annexation of 0.28 acres on Via Siena Street and 64.94 acres on South Wiggins Road, west of Rice Road. The purpose of the voluntary annexation is for development of a warehouse/distribution facility.
The second public hearing will be on an ordinance to rename the Strawberry Park Community Unit District as the Strawberry Park Planned Development District, located on N. Park and S. Frontage Roads. Essentially the rename will provide for any conceptual modifications for the land. This would amend the use of the parcel in question from hotel to restaurant and it would restrict heavy commercial traffic across the property.
In 2007, the plan was for a four-story, 100-unit hotel to go in the spot, but since it was never constructed that is being changed for restaurant use.