Several residents in Cleveland’s Ward 2 attended Monday night’s city council meeting to express their opposition to word that the council has decided to sell the old Talon property rather than build proposed city facilities there.
During citizen comment time, Gloria, Henrietta, and Annie Sutton expressed their opposition.
Mayor Josh Turner said following a called meeting on April 26, the council voted 3-1 to issue a request for proposals for brokerage services for the disposition of the former Talon property on Campbell Street. Council members C.J McDonald, Jeremy McClure, and Rebecca Yardley voted in favor, with Councilwoman Nan Bowen voting no.
The mayor told those attending that the quotes that they have received for building on the property were as high as $18 million. He said, personally, he feels that’s not something the city can afford.
“And we don’t want to put that type of burden on our future generations to have to pay back that kind of debt,” said Mayor Turner. “So, we are looking for solutions for a city hall and a permanent location for our police department and our fire department.”
The city has been wrestling with the Talon property issue for years after they purchased the property back in 2011 and said at that time they would use the property for city offices and other uses.
In the past few years, the city has looked at a conceptual plan for that location and demolition of the old zipper plant, which closed in 1999.
