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Mount Holly council withdraws 131 South Main from upset-bid process, directs staff to pursue economic-development options
Summary
After weeks of public comment and two competing offers, the Mount Holly City Council voted to withdraw 131 South Main from the statutory upset-bid sale process and reject received offers, directing staff to return with alternative disposal options under the state's economic-development authorities.
The Mount Holly City Council voted to withdraw the downtown property at 131 South Main from the upset-bid sale process and rejected the two offers the city had received, Mayor Moore presiding.
City Manager Jason Blanton told the council the upset-bid process began after the council accepted an offer of $762,500 on March 10 subject to the statutory upset-bid period. The Mount Holly Historical Society submitted the only upset bid during the statutory period at $815,000; no further bids were received during the required follow-up advertisement period, Blanton said.
The issue drew extended public comment and debate at the meeting. Eighteen members of the public and business owners spoke for and against selling 131 South Main to the historical society. Michelle Yao, owner of Black Sheep Coffee, said the building should be run by an entity that would occupy and activate the space most of the week. Billy Rigg, a downtown property owner, urged the council to balance price with an economic-development plan that would fill all 13,000 square feet and drive traffic to nearby small businesses. Other speakers, including Robert Black and Carolyn Bridal, urged support for the Mount Holly Historical Society's bid so the society could preserve and operate the museum.
Councilman Kenneth Reeves moved to accept the Mount Holly Historical Society's $815,000 offer under the upset-bid statute; Councilwoman Harris seconded. The motion failed on a 2-3 vote (Yes: Harris, Reeves. No: Meadows, Shoemaker, Craig). Councilwoman Shoemaker then moved to withdraw the property from the upset-bid process and reject both offers; Councilman Meadows seconded. That motion passed on a 3-2 vote (Yes: Meadows, Shoemaker, Craig. No: Reeves, Harris).
Following the withdrawal vote, council asked staff to return with alternative property-disposal options. Blanton said staff will prepare information on other statutory methods, including proposals under the state's economic-development authorities and development-agreement frameworks, and bring those options to the April 28 work session for council review.
Council and staff also described related project costs and next steps. Blanton summarized prior work on the building: Creech & Associates completed an earlier evaluation (the study cost was described in meetings as about $80,000), the council previously approved a demolition-related budget amendment near $118,000, and staff has tentatively budgeted roughly $680,000 for upfitting a new museum space at the municipal complex. Blanton said an RFP for the municipal-complex upfit had been published and proposals were scheduled for later review.
The council discussed but did not finalize changes to the existing memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the historical society. Councilman Meadows proposed amending the MOU to change the society's address from 131 South Main to the municipal complex; the matter prompted discussion about timing and was withdrawn as a formal vote after members said drafting a revised MOU seemed premature. The city attorney, Anders, advised the council that the upset-bid statute limits the council's ability to impose future use conditions on a purchaser and that alternative disposal methods would permit more control over post-sale use.
With the council's direction, staff will prepare alternative disposal options and a draft process explanation for the April 28 work session. No sale of 131 South Main was executed at the meeting.
