WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council accepted an offer on Waitsburg’s former city hall at 147 Main Street. The offer made by Mark and Miriam Grant is for the listing price of $210,000.

The council approved accepting the offer, adding a provision requiring occupancy of the ground floor commercial space within one year, with a possible one-year extension. There is no occupancy timeline requirement for the upstairs portion of the building.

In October 2021, the city council first adopted Resolution 2021-735 to surplus the property after the cost of repairs and upgrades, including roofing, brickwork, HVAC, and ADA requirements, was deemed prohibitive by the city. The city had already purchased and moved city hall to the building at 108 Main Street.

In December, addressing concerns about the adverse effects of empty commercial buildings on Main Street, the council approved revisions to the city’s surplus policy, allowing proposed use to be added to the criteria when accepting bids.

The Grants offer includes plans to move their business, Northwest First Realty, to the building after remodeling the ground floor to better meet the needs of their customers, brokers, and agents.

The city will work with the city’s attorney Jared Hawkins to draft a sales agreement, and closing is anticipated within 45 to 60 days.