Motion to approve amendment to Sales Contract with Geyer Morris Company to purchase the lot at Oglethorpe and Habersham. City entered into a contract with Geyer Morris Company to sell the lot on the corner of Oglethorpe and Habersham (which was formerly considered as a future site for the new police headquarters) for a price of $5 million. The contract was awarded to buyer who was chosen after responding to the City’s request for proposals (“RFP”). The City’s RFP included the sale of the property which was formerly a lane, because (i) the lane was closed by a previous council and sold to a prior developer several years ago; and (ii) the lane did not connect to a lane on either the eastern side (shopping center) or the western side (historic police headquarters). The City’s objective in issuing the RFP was to sell surplus land to raise funds for new city buildings, and to incentivize a developer to build non-transient permanent residential housing in the central business district. Council has made it a priority to attract permanent residents, instead of transient guests into the district.

A number of citizens have advocated for re-establishing the previously closed lane. City staff met with the developer and asked if it would consider the feasibility of removing the lane from the project. This potential change would necessitate redesign of the project by the developer. Developer has requested that the due diligence period be extended by 180 days in order to consider the feasibility of redesigning the project to accommodate the City’s request.

Approval