Under three conditions, Athens City Council members voted 5-0 Monday to buy the former Pilgrim’s Pride property with hopes of razing the old chicken plant and redeveloping the area.

The city will pay $550,000 for the 3.71-acre site off Pryor Street as long as an environmental study shows no expensive remediation or demolition is required. The purchase contract approved Monday gives the council 120 days to assess the results of a soil and groundwater study the Alabama Department of Environmental Management expects to begin July 31.

Mayor Ronnie Marks has tentatively negotiated with Pilgrim’s Pride to buy the property for $550,000, which was lower than the $575,000 appraisal the city had obtained and the $800,000 appraisal Pilgrim’s Pride had obtained. The mayor has been trying for nearly five years to get the defunct chicken processing plant cleaned up, referring to the dilapidated buildings and overgrown grass and weeds as a blight on an existing residential neighborhood.

The city’s long-range plan calls for turning the site into a multi-use park, but Marks said other ideas include using the land for mixed-use residential and commercial development.

Pilgrim’s Pride, which had employed 650, has been idle since 2009 when it closed unexpectedly.

Neighbors speak

Before the council voted unanimously to approve the purchase, two Pryor Street residents spoke in favor of the project.

Adam Keller listed the plant’s location between Athens State University and the new Athens High School as a reason to approve.

Sherry Sampson, who has lived two houses down from the plant for seven years, said the plan has a lot of neighbors in the area very encouraged.

“There has been a lot of revitalization to the homes on that street, so the neighborhood is really interested in the upkeep of the neighborhood,” Sampson told the council. “We think it will benefit the neighborhood.”

She said cleaning up the property and building a park and upscale town homes would increase property values. Furthermore, the city would gain revenue from those increased property values and town homes would be great for retirees interested in downsizing.

“I think the neighbors should have input on what you are going to do with it,” Sampson said. “It looks pretty rough. It doesn’t reflect our neighborhood or the wonderful city that we have, so I encourage you to invest in this project. It would not just be beneficial to my street but to everybody.”

Conditions

The resolution the council voted on Monday was introduced July 17. However, the council amended the resolution this time to formalize a promise the mayor made to bring the results of the environmental and demolition cost studies back before the council before 120 days pass and before the mayor closes on the deal. If the council decides the project would be too costly based on those studies, it can pass a resolution terminating the agreement with Pilgrim’s Pride.

District 2 Councilman Harold Wales said this amendment addressed his concern.

“I agree with the language (of the amendment),” he said. “This gives us a chance to see how the inspection turns out and to decide whether to go forward. It is important for us to know the demolition cost. This language will let us know those two things before it is a done deal.”