Commission approves transfer of vacant 135 South Main to Hinesville Downtown Development Authority

The board voted to approve a resolution authorizing the transfer of a vacant county-owned property at 135 South Main to the Hinesville Downtown Development Authority under an intergovernmental agreement.

Charlie Davis introduced the proposal, explaining the authority has identified the property as an opportunity to revitalize the downtown business district and that the resolution would authorize execution of an intergovernmental agreement to accomplish the transfer. The agreement includes conditions: the property must be actively developed within a defined timeframe, the county retains a right to repurchase the property for nominal consideration if the development does not occur, and the county will have input on architectural design and renovations.

Commissioner Fraser expressed reservations about simply transferring the property and asked whether the county could pursue a partnership model or create a county economic-development arm that would share control or create revenue-generating projects for the county. "I'm not against this project... I'm against the way how we're going about it," Fraser said, urging consideration of alternatives that could produce direct revenue to offset millage pressures.

County counsel and the presenter said the resolution would not foreclose the opportunity for joint ventures; the resolution as drafted would permit the county to share in net proceeds up to the property's fair-market value in certain scenarios. After limited discussion, an unidentified commissioner (speaker 9) moved to approve the resolution; a second was recorded and the board approved the resolution by show of hands.

The motion passed by voice/show-of-hands vote; no detailed roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.