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DeSoto Parish jurors accept sale terms but require first‑refusal preserved in deed for industrial lot
Summary
The parish jury agreed to let seller proceed with a sale of 132 West Industrial Park Drive to a private buyer, provided the new deed preserves the jury’s right of first refusal and a waiver forbidding surface oil and gas operations is included; the buyer said the site would bring jobs.
The DeSoto Parish Police Jury voted unanimously to allow a proposed sale of 132 West Industrial Park Drive to advance while requiring that the parish’s contractual right of first refusal be preserved in the new deed for any future sale.
Maurice Bledsoe, the current owner and seller, told jurors he is attempting to sell the 16‑acre parcel to an operator referred to as "TC of Acadia," which he said would bring more than 100 jobs to the area. "They're gonna employ a 100 plus people," Bledsoe said during the committee discussion.
Jurors stressed two protections they wanted written into the closing documents: a waiver restricting surface oil and gas operations on the 16 acres and explicit deed language preserving the jury's first right of refusal if the buyer later chooses to sell. "As long as it's in the deed that 5b sells to TC of Acadia with that right of first refusal still retained by the jury," one juror said, "that should solve it." The buyer's counsel and seller agreed to include language in the deed, and jurors said parish counsel would be present at closing to verify the provisions.
Why it matters: The property is in the parish industrial park and jurors said maintaining the right of first refusal helps keep the land available for industrial use and local employment rather than passive real‑estate investment. Jurors also discussed the appraisal‑based valuation method in the deed that sets the purchase price at $6,000 per acre and how improvements would be assessed.
Legal and procedural notes: Staff reported the notice under the jury's contractual right of first refusal arrived last week and the deed and waiver language must be included explicitly to bind the new owner. Jurors said a new appraisal would be required at closing and their attorneys would confirm deed language.
The vote: The alternate motion (forgoing direct purchase this time but preserving the right of first refusal in the deed and including the waiver limiting surface operations) passed unanimously on a roll call vote.
Next steps: Parish counsel will review final deed language, staff will confirm appraisal figures and closing conditions, and the jury expects counsel to be present at the closing to ensure the agreed protections are recorded.
