On the agenda

1. 1Call to Order - Roll Call▶ 0:00
2. 2

   ↳You arrived here from a search for “Marilyn Deschamps” — transcript expanded below

   Discussion Regarding the Potential Purchase of the Former Walgreens Property

   discussed

   City Manager Debbie Manns recommended that the CRA authorize due diligence and purchase of the former Walgreens property at the southeast corner of US Highway 19 and Main Street (1.4 acres) for $1,750,000 as a strategic economic development investment to anchor a downtown gateway. After public comment and extensive board discussion about envisioning the corner as an entryway feature with landscaping and signage (similar to Safety Harbor), concerns were raised about the price and prior city land-purchase losses. The item was discussed without a formal motion shown in the transcript excerpt.

   • direction:CRA Board discussed and expressed general support/consensus for pursuing purchase of the former Walgreens property, with concerns raised about price; no recorded motion in transcript excerpt. (none)

   📍6119 Illinois Avenue📍River Road📍Sims Park📍Southeast corner of US Highway 19 and Main Street🏢Baptist Church (former)🏢Downtown Seafood / Gyro shop🏢Hacienda Hotel🏢Little Lamb🏢Main Street Landings🏢Southgate Shopping Center🏢SunTrust🏢Suncoast News / Tribune building🏢Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council🏢Walgreens👤Altman👤Bob Smallwood👤Debbie Manns👤Jeff👤Marilyn Duchant👤Starkey#CRA funds (~$3.5 million/year)#Chasco Fiesta#Downtown gateway entrance feature#Parallel flood drainage initiative#Pound District#River Gate entrance#Safety Harbor entrance signage as design precedent

   ▶ Jump to 0:18 in the video

   ▸Show transcriptHide transcript

   Auto-transcript · machine-generated, may contain errors

   [00:00:19] This man's the item on the agenda is a discussion regarding potential [00:00:22] purchase of the former Walgreens property. [00:00:25] Thank you for the opportunity to introduce this item. [00:00:29] Which I consider to be an opportunity for commercial reinvestment. [00:00:35] The property that we're talking about is 1.4 acres in size. [00:00:39] It's located on the Southeast corner of us highway 19 and main street. [00:00:46] And over the course of the last couple of years, there've been plenty of moving [00:00:52] parts and plenty of proposals for that property, along with the former media [00:00:59] general, the former downtown seafood in your row shop and the SunTrust building. [00:01:07] None of which have come to fruition. [00:01:11] The it, it though is such a critical corner that I feel compelled to make a [00:01:19] recommendation to you to purchase the property. [00:01:23] It is not a recommendation that I take lightly. [00:01:26] I am very aware of the fact that there is a public perception by some in this [00:01:33] community dating back as long as 15 years ago, that the city may have made some [00:01:39] mistakes in some prior property deals. [00:01:42] But what I can tell you is what I know about economic development, because I [00:01:50] can't respond to what happened 15 years ago. [00:01:53] Don't know enough of the details, not prepared to do that. [00:01:58] What I can tell you is that the last time there was a considerable investment [00:02:04] on us highway 19 in the city was 1965. [00:02:08] And that was the establishment of the South gate shopping center. [00:02:11] So my friends were challenged without question. [00:02:15] What I've learned in my career about economic development is that private [00:02:20] investment always follows public investment. [00:02:25] The city really has to be in a position to take initiative, to play a leadership [00:02:34] role before private developers are willing to commit either time or money to a [00:02:40] project. [00:02:41] The formula for economic growth, certainly within recent decades, is [00:02:48] indicative of the fact that we have to have a partnership in order to bring [00:02:56] projects to culmination. [00:03:02] And I'm reluctant to tell you these things about economic development, but I [00:03:08] could on a national, on a statewide scale, tell you examples of successes that [00:03:18] have been enabled as a result of a partnership. [00:03:22] But I don't have to do that because it's pretty powerful for me to tell you [00:03:27] pardon me, that you're already doing that. [00:03:30] You've done that at the Hacienda Hotel. [00:03:32] You've done that at Main Street Landings. [00:03:35] And you have also done that at Sims Park. [00:03:40] And all of those projects in one degree or another has served as an impetus for [00:03:46] revitalization in the downtown area. [00:03:50] There and the time is now to assert our community vision and leadership and [00:04:01] authorize the executive director of the CRA to go forward with a due diligence [00:04:08] period and an opportunity to purchase the Walgreens piece. [00:04:13] Because those parcels in that critical location for the city are not going to [00:04:21] happen without the hand of government. [00:04:24] What I know from you as a body, because there's enough commonality to you, that [00:04:30] this is important to you without question. [00:04:34] You want to advance a positive identity. [00:04:38] You want to have appropriate land treatments that will draw people from U.S. [00:04:44] Highway 19 into our development district. [00:04:48] And you care enough that you want to influence private development. [00:04:52] This is our opportunity to do it. [00:04:56] And you can't accomplish those goals without having skin in the game. [00:05:02] Not possible. [00:05:04] The property owner and I have had some discussion so that we could come to an [00:05:14] understanding of what the terms of an agreement would look like if you [00:05:18] determined it's appropriate for us to go forward with the purchase of the [00:05:25] property. [00:05:27] In that respect, they have agreed to recommend to the ownership group a [00:05:32] purchase price in the amount of $1,750,000. [00:05:38] We have that money in the CRA currently. [00:05:42] The money would not be impacting the efficacy of any of our other proposed [00:05:50] projects. [00:05:53] In closing, I just have to say, if we don't have confidence in ourselves, no [00:05:59] one else will. [00:06:01] We need to advance this as a priority. [00:06:05] And I'm hopeful that you will consider the request favorably, and I'm prepared [00:06:12] to respond to any questions that you may have with me. [00:06:15] Thank you. [00:06:15] Open it up for public comment. [00:06:28] Thank you. [00:06:29] Marilyn Duchant, 6119 Illinois Avenue. [00:06:34] I agree with our city manager on that property. [00:06:40] It must be economically feasible and must return to our city. [00:06:46] It also must, I feel, stay within the downtown image that we've been creating [00:06:53] for the last 30 years. [00:06:55] And I have a question. [00:06:59] If this land up there, those two pieces, or at least the one we're talking about [00:07:03] with the Walgreens, goes commercial, does that take it out of the downtown land [00:07:09] use? [00:07:12] In response, we are not talking about the zoning of the property at all this [00:07:17] evening. [00:07:17] No, we're talking about specifically the purchase of the property, and it would be [00:07:22] at its current zoning designation. [00:07:24] Which is two different designations. [00:07:25] That's correct. [00:07:26] Okay. [00:07:26] Well, that seems like a cart before the horse. [00:07:31] But anyway, okay. [00:07:33] Well, let me just say why I'm here. [00:07:36] Because I don't know all the economic stuff on it, but I do know how important it [00:07:40] is. [00:07:41] Yeah, we know how important it is. [00:07:44] Because after 30 years of downtown redevelopment, that will be a crucial area [00:07:50] so that it has a come-hitherness for people, those 80,000 cars going by that [00:07:56] intersection every day, to see that it is actually an opening gate to the downtown. [00:08:04] And hopefully to encourage redevelopment of that business district, used to be [00:08:09] called the Pound District, so that people actually know that when they go down it, [00:08:13] they go into the historic downtown. [00:08:16] So I think that's all I'm really saying, is that I was not a big fan of the [00:08:20] Walgreen there. [00:08:21] And also that mishmash of the Sun, and that poor, dead, old Suncoast News [00:08:26] building, it wasn't good. [00:08:27] So we need to do something and have that belief in ourself. [00:08:31] I'm just looking out for that land use and that commercial aspect, so that we keep [00:08:37] in line with this ongoing project of downtown redevelopment. [00:08:43] Thank you. [00:08:44] Thank you very much. [00:08:45] Thank you. [00:08:45] Anyone else? [00:08:46] Bob Smallwood with me in court. [00:08:58] Actually, I forgot this was an item tonight, so I hadn't had a whole lot of [00:09:01] time to study it, but my off-the-cuff thoughts and beliefs being in the [00:09:05] commercial real estate business is I understand Ms. Mann's comments, but my [00:09:09] thought is that price tag is way too high. [00:09:11] Given that's kind of a damaged property with the zoning issues with that property, [00:09:15] it's half highway commercial, half downtown, and from my thought too, I guess [00:09:22] I moved into the town back when the city was on this buying spree of churches and [00:09:26] other properties right at the height of the real estate market, and the market [00:09:30] crashed. [00:09:31] And we're kind of, again, at that height of the real estate market. [00:09:33] And I just, you know, business cycles have a way to repeat themselves. [00:09:37] So I hate to see us buy a piece of property, overpay for a piece of [00:09:40] property, you know, we're just a year or so away from an election, things could [00:09:44] change a lot in the country. [00:09:45] So my thought is it is a key piece going into the city. [00:09:50] That price point seems to be way too high in my estimation. [00:09:53] I haven't done any market research on it per se, but I know, again, because of the [00:09:58] zoning issues, it's kind of strange. [00:10:00] And I just assumed it'd stay in private hands so we can capture that tax revenue [00:10:05] too. [00:10:05] And it also, I guess, kind of bothers me. [00:10:07] I haven't seen anything develop with the old newspaper office and the sub shop. [00:10:12] There's nothing's happening there. [00:10:14] So that kind of tells me the marketplace for that building, that area is, U.S. [00:10:19] 19 property is just, it's just not worth what it used to be. [00:10:22] So I, again, I would refrain from paying, if it was my money, if I had unlimited [00:10:27] amount of money, I wouldn't pay 1.7 for that building. [00:10:30] Thanks. [00:10:30] Thank you. [00:10:31] Anyone else? [00:10:33] Seeing no one else, I'm going to bring it back to the CRA. [00:10:38] Let me, do you, we're going to ultimately need a motion on this to do something. [00:10:42] We are going to need a motion this evening, if you determine either to go [00:10:46] forward or not to go forward. [00:10:48] May we have this? [00:10:49] I was going to say, if we could have some discussion first. [00:10:52] If we make, I mean, there's a lot I want to say. [00:10:56] There's a lot I want to hear from y'all. [00:10:58] This is a very, very important. [00:10:59] Can we just kind of not make it a work session, but just kind of have a relaxed [00:11:04] discussion. [00:11:05] Yeah, I, and, and let me, let me kick it off with where I'm coming from on this [00:11:10] thing, as Mr. [00:11:12] Smallwood adequately, accurately pointed out, it's a, it's sort of an odd parcel, [00:11:18] particularly with the, the multiple zoning. [00:11:21] And I can see why it needs to be highway commercial as part of that other parcel, [00:11:30] if it gets combined. [00:11:31] And I can see Mr. [00:11:34] Altman's point that it, it ought to be part of the downtown zoning district, [00:11:41] which is sort of what they did when they, they split zone to the thing. [00:11:46] Let me, let me offer a, just a vision of what could happen with that parcel. [00:11:54] If we go forward with buying it at whatever prices negotiated as fair, if we [00:12:02] took the northern portion of that, which is currently zoned downtown commercial, [00:12:10] and we used that to build an entrance feature to downtown New Port Richey, be [00:12:19] that a, a display sign or whatever, something that designates that this is [00:12:27] downtown New Port Richey, right there on the corner, make it big, make it obvious, [00:12:34] and then sell the, the balance of that parcel to whoever is going to ultimately [00:12:43] redevelop the, the Tribune building, or as I would have called it, the food fair. [00:12:49] And, and all of that, all the way down to, to SunTrust, leaving us with just the [00:12:58] parcel immediately adjacent, the piece of the parcel immediately adjacent to U.S. [00:13:03] 19. [00:13:04] And the reason I'm, I'm thinking in that line, we've, we've had some discussions [00:13:10] and I know that some folks from Main Street have over the years suggested that [00:13:17] we ought to have some grand gateway that goes from one side of, of Main Street to [00:13:23] the other over the, over the street to welcome everybody in New Port Richey. [00:13:28] I don't know that that's feasible, but to have some sort of, of entryway [00:13:38] designation on, on that parcel on that southeast corner, I think is very doable. [00:13:44] And it, it might be, you know, just a, I think, welcome to New Port Richey with a [00:13:51] video sign that says, you know, Chesco Fiesta this week or, or whatever. [00:13:58] And, and I, I think that would, would be a good use of that corner, [00:14:05] the immediate corner piece of it. [00:14:07] And hopefully we could get most of our money back out of it when we got [00:14:11] rid of the, the balance of the parcel. [00:14:13] So that, that was just the thought that came to mind. [00:14:16] I'd toss it out to my colleagues. [00:14:17] Before we get into whether or not we should look into purchases, exactly what [00:14:21] you're saying is what I was talking to Brian with about before the meetings. [00:14:23] Could you bring up that, I went and ate at one of the best little restaurants, if [00:14:27] you've ever been down to the safety harbor area, it's not in downtown safety [00:14:30] harbor, but a little place called Little Lamb right up the road. [00:14:32] It's a gastro pub. [00:14:34] The owner of that restaurant has actually shown interest in our downtown. [00:14:36] And this is not by any means the best pictures, just Google Earth. [00:14:41] But I agree with you 100%. [00:14:43] This is this conversation, once again, not regarding whether or not we [00:14:47] purchase a property at this point, but instead of having an archway over US 19, [00:14:51] this is the entrance to safety harbor. [00:14:53] And it looks a million times better than this when you're driving on the road. [00:14:58] There's not, it's not just one corner. [00:15:00] and that other southeast corner is in a shadow, [00:15:03] but the corner of Main and 19, [00:15:05] it's an absolute concrete jungle. [00:15:08] Rather than having an archway to add to that, [00:15:10] I would much rather see on both of those corners, [00:15:12] and it wouldn't take a whole lot of space, [00:15:14] some oak trees planted, [00:15:16] and similar signs to what Safety Harbor has here, [00:15:19] big brick walls, city of New Port Richey, [00:15:22] beautiful landscaping around it on both corners. [00:15:25] To me, something like that, [00:15:26] it doesn't have to be exactly like that, [00:15:27] and like I said, that's not the best photo by any means, [00:15:29] but as you're driving by McMullen Booth, [00:15:31] that catches your eye. [00:15:32] It looks classy. [00:15:34] You know there's something down there you wanna go see. [00:15:37] So I think that's something we should look into. [00:15:39] I'm gonna let my colleagues speak [00:15:40] as to whether or not they think this is the best option [00:15:43] to go about getting to an objective like that, [00:15:45] but, and that'll get my two cents, [00:15:47] but I guess my first question before we move on, [00:15:50] if I may, is- [00:15:51] Can we stop right here on this thing here? [00:15:53] Yeah, real quick. [00:15:54] Yeah, go ahead. [00:15:54] I want this, because I wanna talk about this right here. [00:15:57] I've been taking pictures, [00:15:58] and I'm just not prepared to bring them tonight, [00:16:00] but I've been taking pictures [00:16:01] of different apartment complexes, [00:16:03] different areas. [00:16:04] There's an area over in Claremont [00:16:06] where they're doing about a six by six or eight by eight [00:16:11] structure that's about, looks like pillars, [00:16:14] or it's just decorative, [00:16:17] and it's like two stories tall, [00:16:18] and they have, some of them just have wording on it. [00:16:21] Some have put signage on it that you can change the signs, [00:16:25] but I thought that that's another step above this, [00:16:28] along with the landscaping that would fit in real, [00:16:32] it would identify, and maybe even at some point, [00:16:35] we talked to people on the northeast side, [00:16:37] and we have two pillars, [00:16:39] so then the people would know to turn into New Port Richey. [00:16:41] So I'll come back, and it'll probably be about, [00:16:43] because I'm not going to Orlando for a little while, [00:16:45] but when I come back, I'll have those pictures over there, [00:16:48] and then they're using them as entrances [00:16:53] to some of the new apartments out on 54 in Trinity area, [00:16:58] and that's, you can get it ideal out there. [00:17:01] And just my point being, if we add green, [00:17:05] cover both corners, it doesn't have to take a lot of space, [00:17:07] but it just goes a long way. [00:17:09] When you're driving down 19, [00:17:10] and then you see stuff like that, it's going to grab you. [00:17:14] Yeah, I think that's definitely needed. [00:17:15] I think we can get away with that without the arch. [00:17:18] Yeah, that's definitely needed, [00:17:19] because like you just, I agree 100% with you about, [00:17:21] it looks like a concrete jungle. [00:17:22] There's nothing attractive at all. [00:17:24] Some greenery there, some nice signage would just be, [00:17:28] I don't know, an oasis right in the middle of 19, really. [00:17:32] So yeah, I'm with you on that for sure. [00:17:34] Mr. Allman. [00:17:35] Yeah, I mean, we've had this discussion for many years, [00:17:38] and it's been the 80s when all of this potential visioning [00:17:43] of what our city could become. [00:17:45] I just think it's so timely that we had this meeting [00:17:47] with the county today, and they're questioning us [00:17:50] about our use of funds, and what are we using our funds on. [00:17:53] And then we've got three and a half million dollars a year, [00:17:56] and we're putting it all out in neighborhoods, [00:17:59] and improvements, and in incentives, [00:18:01] and we're trying to get, you know, [00:18:03] feed the organic growth that like the other Starkey [00:18:07] in the community would say. [00:18:10] But we've always identified this corner as critical, [00:18:13] and of the property purchases [00:18:15] that the city manager mentioned, [00:18:17] and by the way, I was moved by your introduction. [00:18:22] I think you've just hit the nail right on the head [00:18:24] in trying to, you know, prep us up, [00:18:26] and I appreciate your willingness [00:18:30] to be aggressive to do something. [00:18:32] But the one property we didn't talk about [00:18:36] was the church property on River Road, [00:18:37] and I know that was even a property of discussion [00:18:41] for the potential, all these, and some of the other things, [00:18:45] and the need for drainage. [00:18:47] I've been working hard for the last couple of months [00:18:49] on this parallel flood thing, [00:18:51] and we had the gentleman, Jeff, [00:18:54] who came in and visited us. [00:18:57] The opportunities we will have [00:18:59] for financing a new development [00:19:03] that we all talked about a couple weeks ago, [00:19:05] what we envisioned happening down Main Street, [00:19:08] and that whole area, it's begging for, [00:19:11] as the city manager said, some leadership. [00:19:14] And we would have both corners of that. [00:19:16] And truly be partners in what the development plans are. [00:19:21] If you saw the initial plans for the Main Street Landing, [00:19:24] which everybody loved when those were drafted up, [00:19:26] it doesn't quite look like that now [00:19:28] because the economics of construction [00:19:31] and what's feasible changed it [00:19:33] to what's an attractive building. [00:19:34] But I'm excited to have this opportunity [00:19:39] for us to take that role. [00:19:41] A public-private partnership requires public. [00:19:45] I think the actual form of our partnership will change. [00:19:49] It may be, as you say, we get the corner, [00:19:53] and our church and this property [00:19:56] gets traded for some public area, [00:19:57] some drainage, some redesign. [00:20:00] But we have an opportunity to lead the state, really, [00:20:03] because of the nature of our city [00:20:05] and the interest we have from the state, [00:20:08] from the Regional Planning Council. [00:20:11] There was an offer that I mentioned to you all [00:20:13] just a week or two ago, [00:20:15] where the Regional Planning Council [00:20:16] would take this purchase for us, [00:20:18] and without fee, start to helping the community [00:20:21] imagine what it could look like, [00:20:23] and have our community involved in that. [00:20:26] Our business people up and down Main Street [00:20:28] are even willing, I think, to participate. [00:20:32] I think it's important. [00:20:34] I recognize the resistance [00:20:38] of whether it's the right price or negotiation, [00:20:40] but we're in a different position now. [00:20:44] We need to hold that other corner. [00:20:47] So I'm an advocate of buying it, [00:20:49] and certainly an advocate of making that corner [00:20:51] be what we want, not waiting for some developer [00:20:54] to tell us what they're willing to do with it. [00:20:56] That little sign there at the Walgreens is pitiful, [00:20:58] and you can't even see it with the maintenance, [00:21:02] even if you did cut the bushes down. [00:21:06] So I'm all for this, [00:21:09] and hopefully we can muster the support for it. [00:21:14] I think this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity [00:21:17] to secure the way that the entrance [00:21:22] to downtown New Port Richey is going to look [00:21:24] for generation or generations to come. [00:21:30] I firmly believe that once Main Street Landing opens [00:21:35] in a couple months, that essentially everything [00:21:41] between it and US-19 is going to be in play. [00:21:46] And I'm not a commercial realtor, Bob, so you can relax. [00:21:50] I'm not going to go out there trying to create anything, [00:21:55] but I really believe that people [00:21:58] with some of the properties out there [00:22:00] that may be a little bit tired are going to think, [00:22:04] maybe we ought to do something with this. [00:22:08] And having Main Street Landing at the bridge [00:22:13] and a nice entrance that the city has right on the corner [00:22:18] with US-19, I think would be good bookends [00:22:21] to sort of encourage that type development [00:22:26] on all of those parcels up and down [00:22:29] that stretch of Main Street. [00:22:30] So it has some real redevelopment opportunity. [00:22:36] I'm hearing a lot of consensus, I think. [00:22:39] Does anybody want to say anything else or make a motion? [00:22:43] Yes, I want that corner to work as well. [00:22:45] We do have skin in the game. [00:22:47] We own the church property on River Road. [00:22:50] I want it to work, but the biggest blemish [00:22:54] that I hear about and that I see in decisions [00:22:58] that the city has made over the last 15 years [00:23:01] is the purchase of property that we lost our tails on. [00:23:07] The Baptist Church property, [00:23:09] we've paid over a million dollars for it. [00:23:11] On top of the purchase price, [00:23:13] we paid interest for over a decade [00:23:16] at a very, very, very high loan amount. [00:23:20] Then we sold it for $300,000. [00:23:23] We had to sell it for $300,000. [00:23:24] We were losing so much money. [00:23:26] In my opinion, I voted for that, [00:23:28] and I'm very excited what's going on there. [00:23:30] But we probably took a million dollar loss plus [00:23:33] on that one property alone. [00:23:34] Hacienda, we paid a ton for that. [00:23:37] It's worked out, but it's worked out [00:23:39] at a very, very expensive price for the city as well. [00:23:43] The River Road Church property would possibly tie in [00:23:46] to this River Gate entrance that we own. [00:23:49] So in my opinion, we do have skin in the game. [00:23:53] But once again, it's a piece of property [00:23:55] that we bought over a decade ago and we still own. [00:23:58] So I do believe, I'm not in the commercial real estate [00:24:01] field by any means, but I do have a lot of friends [00:24:04] that are in real estate. [00:24:05] I have friends that are real estate appraisers, [00:24:07] and I've spoken to them about this. [00:24:09] And the consensus I'm getting from the folks [00:24:13] that I've spoken to that work in the real estate industry [00:24:15] is that we are, I mean, real estate, [00:24:17] as we saw, is very cyclical. [00:24:19] I mean, 2005 was, you know, we were at the height, [00:24:22] and then we went way low. [00:24:24] I think we're close to the height again, [00:24:26] and that makes me really, really nervous [00:24:28] with a property of such a high purchase price. [00:24:31] So I want that corner to work just as much [00:24:35] as every one of you, but in my heart, [00:24:38] I don't think that this is the right move for the city. [00:24:41] I see what you're saying opportunity-wise. [00:24:44] I see private investment follows public investment. [00:24:47] I wrote down some of your quotes, Ms. Manns, [00:24:49] and not that I'm disagreeing with any of that. [00:24:52] You know, we put our public investment into Sims Park [00:24:55] and look what happened. [00:24:56] You know, it's a great example of us leading. [00:24:59] But this one makes me nervous. [00:25:00] It really, really does. [00:25:02] It is a ton of money, CRA funds. [00:25:05] And I know we get CRA funds on an annual basis. [00:25:08] It's our funds to use as we see appropriate, [00:25:11] as long as it's legal. [00:25:12] But we're under a microscope right now, too, [00:25:14] by a lot of folks that don't like our CRA. [00:25:16] We found that out today. [00:25:18] Not that we didn't know it, [00:25:20] but I'm just bringing that up as well. [00:25:22] So I want the Rivergate to work, [00:25:25] but I just have a nightmare of us [00:25:28] buying this thing from 1.7 [00:25:29] and then having to sell it to a developer [00:25:31] for $900,000 in two years. [00:25:33] You know, it's a huge risk. [00:25:36] And I'm one vote, so if you guys, in your heart, [00:25:39] feel it's the right thing to do, go with that. [00:25:41] You know what I mean? [00:25:42] I'm just telling you how I feel. [00:25:43] I'd like to make a motion to approve the request [00:25:46] to see Rivergate closed. [00:25:47] Look, can I talk yet? [00:25:49] Matt, how about Matt? [00:25:49] Do you want to talk? [00:25:51] Well, go ahead, yeah. [00:25:52] I mean, Robert's rules just say take a motion. [00:25:55] Because he asked, he said, [00:25:56] let's have kind of an open discussion about it. [00:25:58] It's getting into discussion of the potential motion. [00:26:02] I was around, and I was old enough, you know, [00:26:05] to pay attention, you know, at that time [00:26:06] when we bought all this property. [00:26:08] And what was basically going on [00:26:11] was there's a ton of money in the CRA, [00:26:13] and it just, people couldn't stand that money [00:26:16] just sitting there, because we couldn't have [00:26:17] enough people out in the community [00:26:19] wanting to get the money. [00:26:20] I mean, I got $1,000 to put a new roof on my house, [00:26:23] and some of my other friends, [00:26:25] but there was hundreds of thousands of dollars [00:26:27] in the CRA, and it was just eating a hole [00:26:30] in people's pockets. [00:26:31] So they decided to buy up some land [00:26:35] that was, I don't know, underused, underused. [00:26:42] You know, the church was failing, [00:26:45] the Main Street was landing, [00:26:48] the other church wasn't doing much. [00:26:50] So they bought these pieces of property, [00:26:51] you know, in kind of an investment. [00:26:53] Now, does it secular, does it go up and down? [00:26:56] Sure it does. [00:26:57] We buy this for 1.7, does it go up and down? [00:26:59] It might very well do that. [00:27:00] But one thing that they didn't do back then [00:27:02] that we are doing now is that [00:27:05] we have an economic development team. [00:27:08] We didn't have an economic development team [00:27:10] for 10 or 15, well, 10 of those 15 years. [00:27:13] We didn't have an economic team. [00:27:15] We have an economic team. [00:27:16] We have people out there that have been out there [00:27:18] for five years trying to drum things up, [00:27:21] and it's happened. [00:27:22] And I think you talk about Sims Park [00:27:24] and what it's done. [00:27:25] We haven't got one cent back on Sims Park. [00:27:27] In the park itself, I mean, we rent a shed [00:27:31] once in a while, or a peace hall or something, [00:27:34] a shelter, but what has it done to downtown? [00:27:38] It's developed downtown. [00:27:40] You know, that park developed downtown. [00:27:42] And I think putting this package together, [00:27:46] and we have one piece of property on the back side, [00:27:49] and we have a piece of property on the front side, [00:27:50] then we can negotiate where the people come and say, [00:27:53] hey, we want to do this, [00:27:55] and we want to be on your side, and we'll help you. [00:27:57] And if we give it to them for 900,000 or 1.25, [00:28:01] I don't care, because at that point, [00:28:03] we're investing it just like we invested $3 million [00:28:06] into Sims Park. [00:28:07] We're investing that, you know, [00:28:08] maybe a few hundred thousand dollars into this corner [00:28:11] that'll end up bringing us back [00:28:14] multitude of people, multitude of business. [00:28:17] And I think, I know the owners pretty well of Jilly's, [00:28:21] and they bought it like a year and a half ago. [00:28:24] And they're just sitting, waiting for Main Street landings [00:28:27] open up before they decide that they're gonna remodel that. [00:28:30] And they haven't decided exactly what they're gonna do. [00:28:32] But that's an example, too, in that stretch. [00:28:35] The people that own the building [00:28:39] that Pasco Eye Institute, [00:28:41] they're kind of on a teeter-totter. [00:28:43] They know that if they can wait, [00:28:45] that they'll fill their building up, [00:28:46] and it's not only the first floor is filled right now. [00:28:48] They're waiting for that, [00:28:50] and there's people wanting to buy it. [00:28:51] So here they're on a teeter-totter trying to decide, [00:28:53] and I think that that's gonna happen [00:28:55] with Main Street landings. [00:28:56] So I want to be in the middle [00:28:59] of this whole Main Street landings, [00:29:00] and I want to be able to control the growth on that end, [00:29:04] and I want to be able to control the growth on that corner. [00:29:07] And one of the ways is to have a couple pieces [00:29:10] of the property. [00:29:11] I don't want it to be a Walmart [00:29:14] or a Kmart or something like that, [00:29:20] where the property sets, [00:29:22] the building sets back on River Road, [00:29:25] and there's all parking up on the Main Street of our town. [00:29:28] I want it to draw people. [00:29:30] And I have a couple pictures there [00:29:32] of Publix in Isla Morada. [00:29:36] And that would show what they, [00:29:38] let me show a couple of these pictures here. [00:29:42] This is right on the edge of what is it, overseas? [00:29:48] Is it overseas? [00:29:49] Highway. [00:29:50] And that, and that, [00:29:51] I'm standing in the street looking at this Publix. [00:29:54] You know, can you do a little, [00:29:56] you just got the straight pictures? [00:29:58] Okay, yeah, here, here's a different angle of it. [00:30:00] I took a couple of pictures of these, [00:30:02] but we got these out from offline. [00:30:05] Now, that's where you turn into Publix, [00:30:07] and on the side goes, [00:30:08] do you have a picture around to the front of it, [00:30:10] the front of the Publix? [00:30:11] Well, there's kind of the Publix, [00:30:13] but then to the right is a parking lot, [00:30:14] and if you go down, [00:30:15] they've gone ahead and dressed that up, [00:30:17] just what you're talking about, [00:30:18] and that's the kind of look that I want out there, [00:30:20] even though if it is a big industrial, [00:30:22] I mean, a big retail section, [00:30:24] but it doesn't have that ugly look at it, [00:30:27] like a Walmart or even Publix, [00:30:30] even in Southgate, [00:30:32] I mean, it's an old concept, [00:30:33] but I want it to do that, [00:30:35] and so we can control that if we have that corner, [00:30:37] and actually, when I was taking my pictures of it, [00:30:41] when I was there in March, [00:30:42] one of the employees came out, [00:30:43] he happens to be a butcher, [00:30:44] and he said, [00:30:45] I got hired at the Publix up in Key Largo, [00:30:48] and he says, [00:30:49] I drove right by this, [00:30:50] and I thought it was apartment complex, [00:30:52] you know, so if we can kind of control [00:30:54] the boxes that are gonna go in there, [00:30:56] if it happens to be an Aldi's [00:30:58] or whatever it happens to be, [00:31:00] we can control it, [00:31:01] if we have two of the pieces of property, [00:31:03] and they build the whole thing, [00:31:04] so, you know, [00:31:06] to spend a couple of hundred dollars, [00:31:08] couple of hundred thousand dollars. [00:31:10] It's just a couple of hundred. [00:31:11] Yeah, well, [00:31:12] it's a couple of hundred thousand dollars, [00:31:15] you know, [00:31:16] to pick this up and then control that whole situation, [00:31:19] I'm all for this, [00:31:20] I mean, as long as we can do stuff like this with it. [00:31:23] And I'm glad I didn't challenge you on the talk, [00:31:27] but, comments, anyone? [00:31:32] You can make the motion now then, [00:31:34] probably, depending on where you're going with this. [00:31:37] Please do. [00:31:41] I mean, I agree with Councilman Davis, [00:31:43] well, I agree with most of everything [00:31:45] everybody's said up here. [00:31:47] My biggest thing is, [00:31:47] I am no doubt hesitant about buying it, [00:31:52] but I'm more hesitant about losing control over it, [00:31:56] and potential of possibly even getting sued, [00:32:00] and even that, [00:32:04] if someone else has control of that, [00:32:06] you know, [00:32:06] we don't want something to end up there that we don't like, [00:32:09] and that could be forever, [00:32:11] or a very long time. [00:32:13] So, I mean, [00:32:15] you know, [00:32:16] you might say it's a little iffy [00:32:18] with the political and economic future climate, [00:32:22] but, [00:32:24] I think it's worth [00:32:28] investing and taking control of it [00:32:30] so we can kind of design it the way we want it, [00:32:33] and make sure we don't have anything in there [00:32:35] that's gonna just be detrimental to the city in the future. [00:32:43] I just, [00:32:44] like I said, [00:32:45] I'm just more hesitant not to take control of it. [00:32:47] Yeah, my, [00:32:50] let me make very clear, [00:32:52] my interest is not really on the whole acre, [00:32:54] and 1.4 acres, [00:32:56] but basically just the northern third. [00:33:01] And if we negotiated for just that northern piece, [00:33:05] and worked out a deal to sell the other part of it [00:33:09] directly to the people that are talking about [00:33:11] developing the Tribune property, [00:33:14] I mean, [00:33:15] that's fine too. [00:33:17] But, [00:33:19] it's that northern piece that [00:33:24] could be part of an entryway to the city [00:33:26] that has my attention. [00:33:30] May I make a motion now, Mr. Chairman? [00:33:31] Please. [00:33:32] I'm gonna move to authorize the city manager [00:33:36] to negotiate as she has requested [00:33:38] for the parcel on the corner. [00:33:42] We have a second? [00:33:43] Second. [00:33:44] To the maker? [00:33:46] Once again, [00:33:48] I really appreciated the comments made by [00:33:51] Councilman Davis, [00:33:53] that we have a good team. [00:33:54] We're spending money to hire people to let us, [00:33:57] that have done this kind of thing before. [00:34:00] We've got a lot of stuff happening naturally, [00:34:02] and to the city manager's comments [00:34:04] that none of those programs are being impacted [00:34:07] by this request. [00:34:09] We've got 30 years worth of $3 million coming in, [00:34:12] you add that up, [00:34:13] that's $90 million, [00:34:15] just if nothing happens, [00:34:16] but we could hold together. [00:34:20] And again, as has been said, [00:34:22] this corner is critical, [00:34:23] we've been talking about it for 30 years. [00:34:25] So, [00:34:26] I agree that we had to write off the Baptist Church, [00:34:31] we demolished it. [00:34:33] And I suspect that our vision [00:34:35] of what's gonna happen out there [00:34:36] will be the demolition of that building [00:34:38] in its current form at some point. [00:34:41] So, that's the cost of [00:34:43] getting into the partnership. [00:34:46] And I suspect that what you're anticipating [00:34:49] to happen will happen, [00:34:50] that it'll be commercial, [00:34:51] it'll be taxable to the degree [00:34:55] that we're able to use our property [00:34:57] to develop a partnership. [00:35:00] This is a great opportunity, [00:35:01] I'm happy to think this is gonna go through. [00:35:06] To the second. [00:35:07] And yeah, I agree with a lot of what he said, [00:35:10] and I think it's a different time too. [00:35:11] It's a completely different time [00:35:14] from 2008 to now. [00:35:16] Even if, I mean, I'm not trying to be predicting [00:35:18] or anything like that, [00:35:19] but even if we did enter into something, [00:35:21] a recession, things slowed down, [00:35:23] it wouldn't be the magnitude as what we had before. [00:35:26] At least I hope not. [00:35:27] But I think we're in a much better situation [00:35:31] and we're better prepared to make this work. [00:35:35] Mr. Starkey? [00:35:37] I understand all y'all's points. [00:35:39] And I do. [00:35:41] Will, this purchase would give us [00:35:43] more control of that corner. [00:35:44] I get that. [00:35:45] But not at 1.7 million. [00:35:47] And I pray to God that I am wrong on this one, [00:35:50] and that y'all are right some five years from now. [00:35:53] Mr. Davis? [00:35:54] No pressure, Charles, but I'm for it too. [00:36:01] Mr. Starkey, I think this is your turn [00:36:03] for the four to one. [00:36:04] Yes, I'm ready. [00:36:07] If there's no further discussion, [00:36:09] all those in favor, [00:36:10] please signify by saying aye. [00:36:12] Aye. [00:36:13] Aye. [00:36:13] Aye. [00:36:14] Opposed? [00:36:15] Nay. [00:36:16] Motion passes. [00:36:17] Communications on CRA? [00:36:22] Yes. [00:36:22] Yes, please. [00:36:23] Mr. Mayor? [00:36:24] Yes. [00:36:25] If you'd allow me just to make a couple of closing comments. [00:36:29] It's tempting almost to admire Mr. Smallwood's guts [00:36:36] to come forward in front of us [00:36:39] and have enough confidence to suggest [00:36:41] that the purchase price is too much [00:36:43] without the benefit of any market research. [00:36:47] But I take real seriously the recommendations I make to you. [00:36:51] And I can tell you, not only am I making it confidently [00:36:55] that you purchased the property, [00:36:56] but additionally, that appropriate deference [00:37:00] has been made to all of the important factors [00:37:03] and that we are paying a fair price. [00:37:06] The last two letters of interest [00:37:10] that were put forward on that property [00:37:12] were in the amount of two million.

   This text was generated automatically from the meeting video. It is not a verbatim or official record. For exact wording, consult the video or the city clerk.

3. 3Communications▶ 37:17
4. 4Adjournment▶ 43:11