Huntersville board approves sale of Old Town Hall with seven-year restaurant-use restriction

The Huntersville Town Board voted unanimously April 21 to approve a purchase agreement to sell portions of Old Town Hall (parcels 019-031-15 and 019-031-16) to Town Hall Partners LLC for $1,440,000 under the terms presented by staff.

Under the agreement the buyer will place $100,000 in staggered earnest-money deposits, receive a 150-day examination (due-diligence) period, and must close on or before 120 days after that period unless the buyer pays additional earnest money to extend the closing. The contract includes reciprocal easements for shared parking and a seven-year deed restriction requiring at least 50% of gross floor area be devoted to food and beverage uses and at least 1,800 square feet dedicated to restaurant seating. If the restricted use is not met, the town may exercise a repurchase right after a six-month cure period.

Miss Loop, the staff presenter, told the board the appraisal process produced two different values: an as-is appraisal in April 2025 of about $2.27 million and a reappraisal that reflected the proposed deed restrictions and current parcel recombination that returned $1.44 million (October 3, 2025). Staff said the town used the economic development disposal statute and an earlier request-for-proposals process to negotiate the private sale and to permit deed restrictions tied to economic-development goals. The board discussed the appraisal history, the disposal method and the town’s right-of-first-offer after the restriction period.

Several residents urged more public engagement and transparency before a final sale. Elaine Kerns asked the board to defer the vote, saying earlier public hearings lacked a comprehensive reuse analysis. Chris Wolak told the board residents felt "deceived" about the disposition process and expressed concern that the buyer listed in proposals could be an entity that later subleases to national chains rather than the locally focused tenant some had expected.

Commissioner Welsh moved to approve the purchase agreement; the motion carried unanimously. The board directed staff to proceed with contracts and the reciprocal-easement and operating agreements described in the contract documents.

The board’s action advances the town’s stated downtown-revitalization goals but leaves open details about the final tenant, any additional public benefits tied to the buyer’s proposal, and the timing of the buyer’s improvements during the due-diligence period.