Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Redevelopment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County commissioners approve transfer of vacant lots to redevelopment authority for youth sports project
Summary
The Lawrence County Board of Commissioners voted July 14 to transfer a list of county-owned vacant lots to the county Redevelopment Authority so the authority can pursue an exempt-property sale to Flywheel Sports-Based Youth Development for a revitalization project adjacent to Gaston Park.
The Lawrence County Board of Commissioners on July 14 approved a resolution to transfer a group of county-owned vacant lots to the county Redevelopment Authority so the authority can convey them to a nonprofit youth-sports group pursuing a park-area revitalization.
Mary Glass of the county planning office outlined the plan, saying the Redevelopment Authority has already transferred 14 lots adjacent to Gaston Park and that Flywheel Sports-Based Youth Development is seeking another 26 lots in the 5th Ward. "They are currently have some grants through a couple of different places, one for $100,000, which they are using for new lighting on the courts and one for $20,000 for programming and equipment," Glass said.
The properties identified in the packet are largely vacant lots on or near Baltimore Avenue, Bluff Street and Denver Street. Glass told commissioners the parcels include historic holdings that date back to the 1920s and that the Redevelopment Authority will use its exempt property purchase program to structure sales to qualified applicants.
Chair (speaker 1) said the transfer is intended to allow the Redevelopment Authority to move forward with the Flywheel proposal. Commissioner Sonata (speaker 3) described the project as "a good project and something that's gonna be good for the South Side of Newcastle," praising the private investment and youth programming.
The resolution directs staff to convey the listed lots from county ownership to the Redevelopment Authority so the authority can complete the next steps of the Flywheel proposal. Commissioners moved, seconded and carried the motion during the meeting.
The Redevelopment Authority is scheduled to receive a detailed presentation from Flywheel's representative at its next meeting on July 30, Glass said. The county resolution does not specify purchase prices or closing dates; those will be handled by the redevelopment authority and the buyer under the authority's program.
