During the City of Milton’s Executive Committee meeting Monday, City Manager Brian Watkins gave the council an update on property number six the city is looking to purchase to aid in securing the downtown Milton location for the site of the proposed judicial center. In negotiations with the property owner, Watkins said a new player entered the field with a contract to buy it at full price.
Monday, Watkins said the city made an offer rejected by the seller. He said after the meeting the city offered $49,500 while the seller held firm at $59,000. During the meeting, at this point he said “Before we could reply, somebody else made a full price offer.”
Councilman Jimmy Messick said he would be cautious and let the council know this new party in the negotiations is the landlord of his office building. “I had no inkling they were even interested in Milton,” he said. “He was watching the development of Riverwalk and thought this was a good investment, according to him.” Messick let the council know he would abstain from all votes regarding this downtown property now as well as further discussion. When the mayor asked if he would still speak before the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners, Messick said, “I will say what the city is trying to do, but dealing with that piece of property I think since that person is my landlord I have to be careful and not create any fault or appearance of impropriety.”
With a motion from Councilwoman Ashley Lay and a second, the city council moved to begin negotiations with this new party again attempting to somehow acquire this property. Messick abstained from this vote and Councilwoman Marilyn Jones voted nay. Watkins said, “Everything is still up in the air. Nobody made any deals.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: City meets new player in downtown courthouse property