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Loudon
considers selling EDA
office space
Jonathan Herrmann
news-herald.net
After raising concerns in January about the performance of the Loudon County Economic Development Agency, Loudon City Councilman Tim Brewster brought another issue to the table Monday.
Brewster
discussed with
council the need
to market the
Williamson House
property in the
Blair Bend
Industrial Park,
which currently
houses EDA
offices.
“What I’m asking
to do is go
ahead and put
this on the
market,”
Brewster said.
“I’ve got a
couple of
appraisals for
it. We can do it
with a
stipulation that
they won’t be
moving until
April 15. It’s
my understanding
that they’re
already cleaning
out some items
over there.
They’ve got a
couple of
dumpsters
they’re going
through and
getting it ready
for show if we
decide to show
it.”
Back and
forth
followed
between
Brewster and
Jeff Harris,
city mayor,
about how to
go about
listing the
property.
Brewster
hopes to
market the
property
right away,
offering the
EDA space in
the new
Loudon City
Hall on
Highway 72
once
construction
is complete.
Harris
instead
wanted to
give the EDA
plenty of
time to
decide on
where it
would move
if needed
before
listing.
“We have
office space
available at
the new city
hall and
that would
be great if
that’s where
they decide
to put him,
but I don’t
know that
it’s our
decision,”
Harris said.
“… That will
be a board
action. We
have a
meeting
there on
Thursday so
I’m sure
that will
probably
come up.”
The EDA
board is
scheduled to
meet at 2
p.m.
Thursday.
“I think we
would want
to do it in
a concerted
and
organized
manner,” Ty
Ross, city
manager,
said. “We’re
planning on
selling a
property
where a
separate
entity has
an office
and assets.
They would
want to be
able to make
plans in a
timely and
orderly
manner. I
think we
don’t want
to put us in
a position
where we’re
throwing out
a separate
entity.”
Other
concerns
were raised
about
immediately
marketing
the
property.
An
existing
lease
with
each of
the
stakeholders
of the
EDA —
Loudon,
Lenoir
City and
Loudon
County —
requires
a 60-day
notice
to be
broken.
Stephanie
Putkonen,
city
recorder,
also
noted an
intergovernmental
agreement
with
Loudon
County
requires
approval
from the
city and
county
for the
sale of
any
property
in the
industrial
park.
“We
could
pass it,
but we
would
still
have to
wait for
the
county
to move
forward,”
Putkonen
said.
Brewster
brushed
off the
concerns.
“We’re
not
throwing
them
out.
We’re
offering
them a
brand
new
office,”
he said.
Plans
are to
have Joe
Ford,
city
attorney,
review
documents
related
to the
property
and
draft
the
necessary
paperwork
for the
city to
market
the
property
before
the next
city
council
meeting,
which is
scheduled
for 6:30
p.m.
Tuesday.
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2/18/19