Tonawanda council outlines process to sell vacant city parcels, discusses Oak Creek property

The City of Tonawanda Common Council discussed procedures for selling vacant city property and previewed an upcoming offering of a parcel near Oak Creek, city staff and councilmembers said.

City attorney and staff described the required process for disposing of city land: the council must determine whether the property serves a public use and, if not, choose a sale method (public auction, sealed bid or direct sale). If sold by public auction, the city must advertise the sale once a week for three consecutive weeks and may set sale restrictions such as a reserve price, staff said.

Councilmembers said the Oak Creek parcel will be marketed to the public rather than sold directly to a single interested party. “We’re not gonna do an individual sale,” a councilmember said; the clerk’s office will lead the process and the legal department will prepare required documents.

Separately, councilmembers discussed negotiations with a buyer who earlier expressed interest in eight acres and now seeks four acres with a two‑year right of first refusal on the remaining land. Staff said the city will continue to market the unsold acreage and that any phased purchase arrangement should include a construction schedule and completion milestones; failure to meet phases would revert the land back to the city, staff said.

Councilmembers pressed for clarity on enforcement and timelines in sale contracts and said they would require firm phasing schedules and recourse provisions if a buyer fails to complete agreed phases.