By Scott Sullivan
Editor
Douglas efforts to prop up coffers for a new city hall/police station were set to take steps Tuesday with city council hearing the first reading of an ordinance to list 16.4 acres at 6825 Wiley Road as surplus property.
Douglas bought the flat, largely-vacant tract, once part of the Mi-Ro Golf Course, from the Joe Migas Estate in 2013 for $196,600 hoping to center public works operations there, but ran into resistance from residential neighbors.
The land, which lies west of Northern Lights Condominiums, is zoned R-5 Multi Residential and now has a $393,500 estimated value.
The aim, said city manager Lisa Nocerini, is to:
- Seek proposals from qualified developers to address what members call critical housing needs; and
- Raise funds to help pay for converting 415 Wiley Road into a new city hall/police station.
Proposals will be received until Friday, March 28, at 2 p.m. at the city hall.
Douglas Aug. 1, 2023 bought the 18,000-square foot Douglas Professional Center — known locally as “the old hospital” — on the corner of Wiley and Blue Star Highway for $1.5 million, eyeing consolidating municipal services on that 7.8-acre commercially-zoned site.
Council Dec. 2 last year finalized issuing $3.23 million in capital improvement bonds to pay for renovations, with members assuring taxpayers costs would be covered by selling off surplus properties.
Council last month OK’d listing its current 86 Center St. city hall and 47 Center St. police station, plus held a groundbreaking at the new site Jan. 21.
Also Tuesday, council was slated to accept a $215,000 cash offer for 10 acres 291 66th St., also once eyed for a public works site, pending 45 days of due diligence by the purchaser.
Council further was set to extend its lease of the 1870s-built former church-later-public library at 137 W. Center, with an option to purchase, to the OxBow School of Art and Artists’ Residency.
Since first leasing the structure Jan. 13, 2022, the school has used it as its Ox-Bow House hosting exhibits, events and offices. Ox-Bow has agreed to a non-refundable $215,000 deposit for the coming year.
