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Resident questions city purchases as CRA moves to buy downtown building
Summary
Sue Graston urged the CRA to explain why the city is buying more property and said private industry should lead redevelopment; she referenced an earlier offer for nearby land and asked whether the city would resell the Main & Bank building.
During public comment, resident Sue Graston asked the CRA and council why the city is purchasing additional property rather than relying on private industry for redevelopment. She said she previously offered adjacent property for about $300,000 and expressed confusion about the city's role.
Graston asked directly, "What are you gonna do with the building?" and later said, "Why are we purchasing properties?" She raised concerns that government ownership can be intrusive and asked whether the CRA intended to sell the building after acquisition. Staff and board members replied that the property had been acquired previously in a trade and that the CRA would transfer funds and then solicit proposals; staff indicated proposals had been received and that the agency would consider resale or redevelopment depending on the proposals.
The exchange framed local tensions about public-sector involvement in downtown real estate: Graston pushed for private-sector solutions and clarity on resale plans, while board members described the CRA's role in addressing blight and activating downtown parcels.
