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Tuscaloosa committee orders appraisal, seeks RFP before sale of MLK remnant parcels
Summary
The properties committee directed staff to obtain an appraisal and design a public RFP for remnant parcels at MLK Boulevard and 5th Street after a buyer signaled plans for townhomes; council members said appraisal and an RFP are needed to protect long-term corridor goals.
The Tuscaloosa City properties committee on Jan. 14 directed staff to obtain an appraisal and draft a request for proposals before any sale of small remnant parcels at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 5th Street, after a developer signaled interest in building townhomes on the site.
Chase Lucas, a representative with TTL, told the committee the prospective purchaser — Brandon Hayes, the property owner — intends to develop townhomes “very similar to what’s across the street,” but that the existing sliver parcel and the new MLK alignment prevent the original plan. Hayes confirmed he and partners had discussed the parcel and said they were prepared to answer questions from the committee.
Council members said the city should not proceed to a direct sale without a competitive process and requested an appraisal to establish value. One council member said the city previously asked staff to route surplus-property dispositions through an RFP process and emphasized that “that doesn’t mean you necessarily have to take the highest bidder” but that the public process helps ensure quality development and alignment with investments on Jack Warner Parkway and MLK.
The chair summarized the committee’s direction: “So I’ll entertain a motion to move this forward with the RFP process, not this particular,” and the committee approved a motion to obtain an appraisal and prepare an RFP. Staff committed to sharing the appraisal results and the proposed RFP design with the council before the solicitation is released and to return with findings in March or April.
Council members discussed timing. Staff estimated appraisal work could take a few weeks and that the RFP period could be designed for about 30 days once the appraisal and RFP scope are approved. The committee agreed staff will report back with appraisal numbers and draft RFP parameters for council review before public issuance.
The committee took no final sale action at the meeting; the approved direction was limited to appraisal and RFP preparation.
