Twp. accepts $450K offer for Vets Hall

No haggling, just take the money and run.
Oxford Township officials last week voted 4-3 to accept a $450,000 offer to purchase the Oxford Veterans Memorial Civic Center, located at 28 N. Washington St., and the 0.54-acre parking lot behind it.
The buyer is David Parker and closing will take place on or before Aug 5.
Located on an 8,282-square-foot site in downtown Oxford, the 5,318-square-foot, two-story building, commonly known as the Vets Hall, was constructed in 1952 and includes an elevator, kitchen and basement.
Behind the building is a 23,526-square-foot parking lot, also owned by the township. It contains 43 spaces that currently provide free, public parking for businesses located in downtown’s northeast quadrant.
Any proceeds from the sale of the parking lot will go into the township’s general fund. However, any proceeds derived from the Vets Hall sale must be used for the development of a community center based on a deed restriction.
Some township officials were not too keen on the $450,000 offer because the property was listed for $600,000 and appraised for $572,000.
‘It seems to me a counteroffer is in order,? said Trustee Jack Curtis.
Trustee Buck Cryderman and Treasurer Joe Ferrari agreed.
‘I think it would be foolish for us not to counter,? Cryderman said. ‘The worst they could say is no and (we) go back to right where we started.?
‘I’d like to split (the difference) myself,? Ferrari said.
But Kathleen Sanchez, an associate broker with Coldwell Banker Shooltz Realty, which marketed the property for the township, advised officials if a counteroffer was made, it should be done ‘with great caution because you have a cash buyer who is willing and ready to go.?
‘You certainly don’t want to lose that (initial offer) based on our experience (with) the showings we’ve had for people that need financing (which can take six to eight months to obtain),? she said. ‘You certainly don’t want to jeopardize that.?
According to Sanchez, she and real estate agent Lisa Forbes have conducted ‘probably 20? showings of the property. The township board voted to list it last December.
‘It has had a great deal of traffic and two particular buyers looked at it six different times,? Sanchez said.
‘And they have not come forth with an offer,? Forbes noted.
Supervisor Bill Dunn wasn’t willing to risk losing Parker’s offer, so he made the motion to accept it.
‘There’s not a lot of buyers out there for that piece of property,? he said. ‘I mean they haven’t been flocking up here with offers.?
Curtis expressed his concern as to whether the village was aware the 43-space parking lot is going to be sold.
‘They’ve been warned,? said Dunn, who noted his ‘first choice? was to sell the parking lot to the village.
But the only offer the village ever submitted to the township was a proposal to lease the parking lot for 99 years for the sum of $1 annually. As part of the proposal, the village was willing to assume all the liability and maintenance responsibilities for the lot.
The township did not accept and the village never made another offer.
‘I go to all the village council meetings and I have told them numerous times that I believe they’re making a mistake,? Dunn said. ‘They say that they control the parking lot. That is not true. If I were to buy that and (I) had 43 parking spots and I wanted to, I would put a fence up and use that for my customers. And I don’t believe there’s anything the village could do about it.?
Because the lot is currently zoned for parking only, the village would have a large degree of control over how it’s used if a future owner wanted to, for example, build a structure on it or use it for any purpose other than parking. Such a change in use would require a rezoning from the village.
The township purchased the Vets Hall in November 1980 for $48,000.
Until March of this year, the building hosted various township government meetings.
It continues to be used on a daily basis by local senior citizens, who socialize, play games and eat lunch there.
Township officials are looking for a place the seniors can use on a temporary basis, once the building changes hands, until a permanent solution is found for them.