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Church and market concepts vie for 1927 Victoria Avenue; council leans toward sale to church for parking
Summary
Three unsolicited proposals were presented for 1927 Victoria Avenue. 1st Christian Church proposed purchasing the corner lot for parking and campus expansion; another proposer suggested a community market/food-hall concept. Council members expressed preliminary support for selling to the church while preserving other options.
City staff presented three unsolicited proposals for the 1927 Victoria Avenue site and described a Kiwanis Club ownership issue: the Kiwanis offered to buy the property for $100,000 but asked for up to $75,000 in reimbursement for improvements if the city sold the land under terms that would require negotiation. Staff told council the Kiwanis-owned building sits on city land under a lease and that lease termination and reimbursement would need to be addressed as part of any sale.
Pastor Matt Summers of 1st Christian Church told the council FCC wants the adjacent corner lot for overflow parking and campus growth. "Currently, our organization employs 35 people, 13 working for FCC and 22 working for our school... our Early Childhood Learning Center Connection Point... we are already at max capacity with 130 students," Summers said, describing plans to expand parking and facilities to support the church and its school. Mark Voto presented an alternative concept: a market-style, affordable food and culinary-education venue that would renovate the existing structure (about 3,000 sq ft on a 15,000 sq ft lot) and host chefs, teaching spaces and small-scale urban agriculture.
Council members and staff discussed legal mechanics around the Kiwanis lease (including a 180-day notice provision) and whether sale terms should include covenants preventing immediate resale. "For myself, I would lean toward the church," one council member said during the discussion, citing neighborhood continuity and parking needs. Staff said they would return with legal details for negotiating lease amendments, reimbursement, and any sale agreement.
