City commission authorizes selling of city property

by Angie Asam, Staff Writer

The City of Onaway recently purchase two parcels that were in tax foreclosure, a small piece of land between the building at the corner of State and South Veterans Drive and the post office as well as the large vacant piece of property that extends behind the building and post office to Elsden Street.

A developer, Midwest DG Properties LLC, acquired the purple building across South Veterans Drive from the former city hall and has expressed an interest in the properties the city recently acquired.

According to city manager Joe Hefele, the developer, if able to acquire the property from the city, plans to invest several hundred thousand dollars to construct a 9,100-square food chain store that would employ ten people. The city commission authorized Hefel to sign a purchase agreement with the developer contingent upon the city attorney?s satisfaction that the city had clear title to those parcels.

?I believe this development is good news for the city and good news for the community, in that it will employ people and give them another shopping alternative, hopefully keeping them shopping in Onaway,? said Hefele.

The city acquired the tax foreclosed properties with the intent of constructing a permanent farmers? market although their may be leftover property that still allows that to happen. If the development were to fall through the city would keep the property. Hefele will still be putting together an application for grant funds for a farmers? market perhaps at an alternate location.

IN OTHER CITY COMMISSION NEWS: ? Rieth-Riley Construction and Good

rich Paving both submitted bids for the Frenchtown street paving project. The city commission awarded the project to Rieth-Riley based on its low qualified bid of $82,356 contingent upon concurrence in that award from the United States Department of Agriculture ? Rural Development.

? The commissioners instructed Hefele to work with city attorney Mike Vogler to draft a vacant building registration ordinance for their review and consideration. In his managers report Hefele spoke about the idea and it was geared to those who own buildings that are sitting vacant, some times the biggest eyesores in the city.

? Alpena Community College president Olin Joynton gave a presentation to the commission regarding the college?s interest in expanding its tax boundary into Presque Isle County and the Onaway School District allowing them to improve upon the services it provides in those areas.

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