Council approves sales contract for 333 Laskin Road with conditions and extended tenant outreach

The City Council voted to authorize moving forward with a sales contract for city-owned property at 333 Laskin Road to a private bidder, subject to further actions including public engagement, site-plan approvals and arrangements for current tenants.

Speakers from the property-owning family and tenant community described a mixed-use commercial strip along Laskin/Alaskan Road where small, creative businesses and galleries have clustered. Ashley Wilshire, representing the owner family, said the family has owned and managed adjacent properties for more than 60 years and that the sale is "just the first step of the process"; she said the owners plan to continue outreach and work with tenants on relocation and lease extensions. Tenants and arts operators — including Jonathan Langman of Ace Gallery and other creatives — emphasized the cultural value of the block and urged protections and additional time for relocation. Tenant speakers asked the city and developer to consider longer relocation timelines than the owner’s proposed 30 months and to help preserve creative spaces in the Alaskan Road gateway.

Developer representatives told council the building is aging and that redevelopment discussions have been ongoing for more than a decade; they said owners have offered up to a 30-month relocation window for tenants and have kept rents low while operating month-to-month to accommodate the anticipated redevelopment. Council members requested more public and city engagement on design and asked staff to ensure project approvals (site plan, closures and zoning changes if needed) follow the formal planning and public hearing processes.

Council member remarks emphasized competing priorities: support for small, locally owned creative businesses and recognition of long-standing redevelopment objectives and market realities. The ordinance authorizing the sale was approved by council; staff and council members repeatedly noted the sale alone is not final redevelopment approval—the developer must still complete feasibility, contract closing and the city’s site-plan and public-review processes. The final recorded vote in the meeting transcript was stated as 10–1 in favor.

Council conditioned the transaction on continued developer engagement with tenants and the city’s planning process; council also signaled it wants to see retail and gateway design that aligns with the Resort Area Strategic Action Plan’s vision for a pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use corridor.