Atlanta suburb agrees to proceed with church land purchase | Georgia

(The Center Square) — Smyrna town officers agreed to transfer ahead with a plan to purchase a ancient church for a downtown enlargement.

Under the plan, Smyrna officers would purchase the 8.9-acre Smyrna First Baptist Church campus for $15.8 million. After promoting, the church would hire the development from town for up to 4 years whilst they construct their new construction on a 5.5-acre tract of land they plan to purchase from town for $3.3 million.

On Monday, town council voted 6-1 to proceed with the purchase, agreeing to a memorandum of working out outlining the deal.

Smyrna resident Alex Backry, who has prior to now run for mayor and is once more looking for the post this 12 months, criticized the transfer all through a public listening to.

“All we know is the price tag of 15.8 million,” Backry stated all through a public listening to. “I cannot get an answer from the city: How much is it going to cost to prepare the land for what’s going to go on it? No answer. This is taxpayer money; that’s an important detail to add to the 16 million.

“The taxpayers have a proper to have a say in how their cash is being spent, and all they know is the purchase worth,” Backry added, saying the city should use the money to reduce its bond debt. “That is natural hypothesis to me, let on my own playing with taxpayer cash with no definitive solutions at the assets. Government, particularly in Smyrna, will have to now not be thinking about actual property.”

Smyrna Mayor Derek Norton previously said the opportunity to buy the church is one that any city would welcome. City officials have said that residents would have an opportunity to weigh in on how to use the land.

“This is not one thing that developed impulsively. This has been over many, many months of informal conversations that were given just a little bit extra severe that led us to the place we’re,” Norton said during a June public hearing. “What town would not have a look at a chance the place you may have 9 acres contiguous to your downtown and what that would possibly seem like for the way forward for your town?”