The Limestone County Commission and its chairman are at odds over a proposal to purchase seven acres of property on North Jefferson Street.
At Wednesday’s work session, Commissioner Gerald Barksdale asked to add an agenda item for Monday’s meeting that would allow the county to purchase property owned by Dick and Billy Smith for $525,000.
The property was once home to L&S Foodland, a Fred’s discount retailer and a restaurant, all of which are now shuttered. The property also contains three occupied rental houses.
Menefee said the county has been looking for space for the Community Corrections Program, which would be without a home by the end of June. The county had been renting space for the program in the Crutcher Shopping Center, but owner Jimmy Greenhaw would not extend the lease without a four-year agreement.
The county pays $2,500 per month for the 16,000-square-foot space. Menefee said only about 5,000 square feet is needed for the program and for the office of county maintenance employee Ricky Thompson, who also shares the space.
The commission had considered purchasing other properties for the program, including a 12,000-square-foot space in the 500 block of South Jefferson Street near the Family Dollar. The L&S property constitutes about 40,000 square feet.
Menefee said if the commission decides to purchase the property, the buildings may require “a ton of money to upgrade” or they may have to be demolished.
“We’ve looked at other spaces; this is not my idea,” he said.
Barksdale viewed the property as a sound investment at about $15 per square foot. He said the property also appraised for more than $1 million, making the $525,000 price tag a good buy.
“It’s seven acres and you’ve got room (to build) if you don’t like the buildings,” he said, adding that two of the buildings on the property are clean and ready for immediate use. “You also can’t beat the location.”
Though the county has committed $2 million to renovations on the Limestone County Courthouse and may spend up to $2 million expanding the county jail, Menefee said the money exists to purchase the property. However, he said extensive renovations could require borrowing money, and he’s not comfortable with that.
“Sometimes it’s cheaper to tear a building down than to renovate it,” he said.
Barksdale said renovations wouldn’t be necessary on the buildings right away, though he added that any old building requires maintenance over time.
“With the county’s growth continuing like it is, it’s just a wise decision,” he said. “It’s a good, reasonable buy for our current and future use.”
Barksdale’s sentiments were echoed by fellow commissioners Gary Daly, Bill Latimer and Bill Daws, who all plan to vote in favor of purchasing the property at Monday’s meeting.
Daws said it would give Community Corrections a new home in a location near the Limestone County Jail. Daly said there’s a “bunch of different things” the county could do with seven acres of property.
Latimer said the former Fred’s store is “in good shape,” and added he wouldn’t have a problem with tenants in the rental houses staying put.
“It has land for growth and it will fill the bill for what we need,” he said. “It’s really too good a deal to pass up.”
The commission meets at 10 a.m. Monday at the Clinton Street annex.
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