FLINT, MI -- City officials want to sell the shuttered Flint Police Training Academy for $500,000 to a company that wants to convert it into a commercial marijuana grow facility.
The Flint City Council postponed any action on the property sale during its Monday meeting after representatives from the city’s Department of Planning and Development asked to proceed with the sale to Evergrow LLC.
“We believe our land has value and we want to obtain the maximum value for these types of properties ...,” DPD Director Suzanne Wilcox said. “We finalized that purchase agreement (but) it obviously requires City Council approval ... This is a fair and valid offer.”
At one time, Flint operated a police academy from the building at 3420 St. John St., located just west of James P. Cole Boulevard. Volunteers involved in Flint’s Blue Badge Volunteer program were also trained there, according to Flint Journal files.
But the last police academy class that was trained there graduated in 2010, leaving the building empty.
“It’s kind of ironic that the training facility for the police department, that used to go against marijuana, is going to possibly become a marijuana grow shop,” said 3rd Ward Councilman Santino Guerra, who called the project a potentially “productive use” of the building.
Wilcox said city officials were approached about selling the vacant property by Evergrow, advertised the 4.4-acre parcel for bids during a seven-day window, and received just two offers -- $500,000 from Evergrow and a separate offer of $20,000 for the property.
The director proposed the sale during the council’s regular April 26 meeting without first sending it to a council committee for action, which is typically done.
Wilcox told council members that she asked for quick approval because Evergrow is interested in closing on the sale within 30 days so it can begin construction on the site as soon as possible.
In order to operate a grow facility, Evergrow would also need the required marijuana license, Flint Planning Commission approval for a site plan, and have building plans approved by the city. It would also be required to file for all needed permits, pay fees, pass inspections and receive a certificate of occupancy.
The property is properly zoned for a marijuana grow operation, officials said.
1st Ward Councilman Eric Mays said the council could meet in a special session to reconsider the sale if the postponement threatens it.
“I don’t want to blow a deal,” Mays said.
Council sent to proposal back to a committee by a 7-2 vote after some members said they had questions about the process for selling city-owned property and about ordinances related to marijuana growing operations.
Councilmen Maurice Davis (Ward 2) and Guerra (Ward 3) avoted against the postponement.
Franko Sallaku, the managing partner for Evergrow, said Tuesday, April 27, that his company still hopes the council will approve the proposed sale.
“The intent from the beginning was to get the project going as soon as possible,” Sallaku said. “Flint seemed like a good city to establish this type of business in ... (The property) has been abandoned for a while.”
Sallaku said Evergrow is a new company that potentially could supply retail stores in and around Flint and throughout the rest of Michigan.
Read more on MLive:
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