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City council begins contract negotiations with conditional redeveloper for Grama Street parcels
Summary
City staff told the council a conditional redeveloper was chosen in January for two Grama Street parcels and contract negotiations will begin in February; staff said renderings and a draft purchase-and-sale agreement will be returned to council for review, and the RFP allowed proposers to assume the alley would be vacated.
Unidentified Speaker 4, the meeting facilitator, opened a special City Council meeting on Jan. 28 to discuss the possible sale and redevelopment of two parcels on Grama Street. Unidentified Speaker 2, a city staff member, summarized the procurement timeline and next steps.
"We scored that proposal in December, and then, in January, we selected, that developer as a conditional developer," Unidentified Speaker 2 said, describing the staff review process. The RFP was issued in September; staff received one proposal in November, scored it in December and selected the conditional redeveloper in January. Staff said formal contract negotiations are scheduled to begin in February.
Why it matters: the two adjacent assemblages sit across from each other near the railroad tracks on James Garner; the south assemblage is a vacant lot and the north assemblage currently houses the city shelter along with a parcel behind it. Staff framed the project as an opportunity to spur Center City redevelopment consistent with the form‑based code, and they emphasized that a purchase-and-sale agreement will establish the specific development commitments the city expects to secure.
On access and property configuration, Unidentified Speaker 3 raised questions about an alley running through the north assemblage and its utility for future development. "That's probably got some it's it's probably city owns it fee title," Unidentified Speaker 3 said, and suggested council could discuss abandoning the alley as part of negotiations if the developer does not need it. Unidentified Speaker 2 noted the RFP explicitly allowed proposers to assume the alley would be vacated.
Several council participants and staff discussed phasing and bidding options. Staff said proposers could submit offers for one parcel or both and that development could proceed in phases (for example, completing the south parcel first) depending on contractual structure. Counsel and council will have an opportunity to review a draft purchase‑and‑sale agreement in a future study session before any final sale.
Affordable housing and incentives came up during questions. Unidentified Speaker 1 asked whether the city could "incentivize x amount of units be affordable by reducing the price of property." Staff replied there are multiple tools to pursue affordability through entitlements and zoning, and Unidentified Speaker 5 suggested Center City TIF funds and the ongoing urban design implementation plan could be used to encourage workforce or affordable units; the Center City form‑based code explicitly lists multifamily and affordable units among its objectives.
What did not happen: no formal motion or vote was recorded on the property sale at the meeting. Staff said they would not release formal renderings or make promises until negotiations produce a draft agreement that can be presented to council and the public.
Next steps: staff will begin contract negotiations with the conditional redeveloper in February and expects to return a draft purchase‑and‑sale agreement and associated renderings to council in a study session for review before any sale is finalized.
