COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – A second offer has been made on a downtown Coldwater commercial building.
The proposed transactions at 71-73 West Chicago are to scheduled to come before the Coldwater City Council on Monday night.
The two story building was donated to the city by the Richard A. Kerr family in 2018.
Chad Marsh initially expressed an interest in developing the property into a bar and restaurant on the lower level with three apartments on the second level.
Marsh made a $20,000 offer and was interested in using the Community Revitalization Grant program administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
A development agreement for the property was introduced by the City Council on May 23. Since the sales agreement constituted the conveyance of an interest in City owned property, the purchase agreement had to lay on the table for 30 days prior to final action.
During the 30-day waiting and review period, the City received a $25,000 offer on the same property from Mohamed Shahbain.
Shahbain is one of the two owners of the Kilgore building on West Pearl Street.
He is proposing to develop the property at 71-73 West Chicago into a Turkish café or Middle Eastern restaurant and/or ice cream and candy shop on the lower level with three apartments on the second level.
Shahbain is also interested in the Community Revitalization Grant program administered by the M.E.D.C..
After the Kerr Family donated the building, the City has tried to use it as a downtown economic development incentive in order to recruit new businesses to the downtown.
If people knew it was for sale, they would have planned for it and the city could have easily gotten $100+ for it. Our city government is too busy playing favorites and abusing their power than to play fair.