By Scott Sullivan
Editor
Douglas City Council Monday approved sale of its current city hall at 86. W. Center St. for $650,000 to Worth Strategies, LLC.
The downtown property, former home of the 1875-built Dutcher Lodge, was deemed surplus following plans to combine city hall, police and public works offices at the former Douglas Professional Center at 415 Wiley Road.
That 18,000-square-foot building, which sits of 7.8 acres on the southeast corner of Blue Star Highway and Wiley, is now undergoing renovations by Carbon 6 Construction. Douglas plans to occupy it by year’s end.
Key terms of Monday’s sale include:
• At closing, the city will lease the old hall at no cost through Dec. 31 and continue to maintain it during that time.
• A deed restriction prohibiting demolition of the structure due to its recognition as a historic building under a State of Michigan designation.
The agreement follows the July 6 sale of the current city police station at 47 W. Center St. to Ufuk Turan for $452,000.
Council April 24 agreed to sell its 1870s-built former church, most recently used by the Saugatuck-Douglas District Library, at 130 Center St. to Ox-Bow Art School for $430,000.
The city June 2 further signed a nonbinding letter of intent with the Saugatuck Township Fire District to allow the latter to occupy the southern 5,200 square foot portion of the Wiley building as a second fire station.
The STFD, which would maintain its current station at 3342 Blue Star Hwy., would add a 3-bay, 6-vehicle garage attached by a breezeway to the building space last occupied by Holland Hospital and Dr. Jason Myers offices.
Douglas is also weighing bids on 17 acres once eyed for public works but now deemed surplus at 6825 Wiley Road.
