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Council discusses transferring depot and cultural center to DDA or selling depot to tenant
Summary
Council members debated whether the Downtown Development Authority should oversee or acquire the Depot and Cultural Center to boost downtown revitalization; council asked staff to examine legal and financial implications but took no action.
Council members spent substantial time discussing proposals to give the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) oversight of the Depot building and the greater cultural center, or to transfer/sell the Depot to generate seed funds for downtown economic development.
One councilmember urged the transfer so the DDA could be self-sufficient: "The DDA should be self sufficient... give them the depot," arguing local control and the ability to reinvest proceeds. Staff and other council members cautioned that transferring or selling a central city asset requires safeguards so the city does not inherit long-term maintenance liabilities if a private tenant fails. A councilmember warned of the "big meteor theory" — a tenant could fail and leave a prominent downtown asset vacant.
No action was requested or taken. The council asked staff and the city attorney to study the legal ramifications, potential conditions on transfers or sales, and ways to protect city interests before any formal proposal was brought back to council.
