The Wayland City Council Monday night finalized the purchase agreement with developers Josh Otto of Dorr and Keith Nickels of New York for a parcel at 1121 133rd Ave. on the southern edge of the city.
The purchase price was just $20,000, which aroused the ire of at least three businessmen who located in the industrial district for a much higher price. However, city officials have explained that the property essentially has been idle for 19 years and efforts to unload it to a Portage firm and another from the Netherlands failed, even though it was offered for free with tax abatement incentives.
Otto and Nickets have not disclosed what they plan to do with the odd-shaped site, but Otto Monday night told the council, “We are very committed to this project. We will make our best professional efforts to continue… despite the constraints in the agreement.”
The city agreed to the $20,000 price some time ago, but a special committee of three council members has been working out the non-economic details since then.
The vote to accept the amended purchase agreement was unanimous.
