Building & Lands Committee advances purchase of St. Joe's athletic fields to council with emergency

The Building & Lands Committee discussed ordinance 26-25, which would authorize the mayor to execute a real-estate purchase agreement to buy roughly 8.2 acres (ball fields, bleachers and a building) from St. Joe's Parish for public athletic use. The mayor described the property as a "once in a lifetime opportunity" and said appraisals supplied with the proposal showed values above the $600,000 negotiated purchase price; one appraisal came in "well above" the figure and another cited values near $900,000.

Committee members raised follow-up questions about acreage differences after a proposed lot split, which party would pay closing and survey costs, the deed restriction limiting use for athletic/park purposes for 50 years, and the city's likely maintenance and improvement obligations (fencing, parking, drainage and building repairs). Members sought clearer total cost estimates beyond the purchase price; one committee member said an outside estimate including closing costs and remediation came to $672,000, and urged staff to return with a punch list and true total-cost projection before final council action. The committee voted to advance the matter to council with the emergency designation so the city could move quickly if approved.