ADRIAN — At its Nov. 18 meeting, the Adrian City Commission approved granting an option for the Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute to buy about 21 acres of city-owned land for a planned future campus.
The land is part of what is known as the Witt Farm, which was purchased by the city about 25 years ago for future economic development.
The option agreement does not mean the woodworking institute will definitely buy the land, but it is a preliminary agreement that fixes terms for the expected sale. The woodworking institute will pay $1,000 for the option.
If the option is exercised, the woodshop will pay $8,000 per acre for the approximately four acres that are currently farmland, and $10 per acre for woodland that is not slated for development. The agreement approved by the city commission states that construction must begin within 18 months of the woodworking institute taking title, and substantial construction must be completed within 36 months. The city can take the property back if the conditions are not met.
If the woodshop does not exercise the option within one year, it can be converted into a three-year right of first refusal for an additional fee.
The Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute is a nonprofit organization that offers both postsecondary career training programs and classes for the general public.
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