The First Baptist Church was purchased by the city in June of 2023 for $3.175 million to be converted into a Community Resilience Hub. The mayor has said that the city paid below appraised value. The building still needs significant costly renovations to be completed. Property and land values have gone up since the purchase. The mayor now says that plans for the Resilience Hub have reached a standstill due to a lack of funding.
If all this is true, it would seem obvious that the city should be able to sell that property at a substantial profit. The proceeds can be used to purchase a more suitable building, perhaps at a more reasonable cost and needing less restoration.
John Celentano
Florence