Wenonah Drive library lot may be purchased by Florida man
Nearly 12 years since the Presque Isle District Library Board purchased land on Wenonah Drive with plans to construct a proposed $1.3 million building that never materialized, there appears to be a buyer for the vacant lot. The library board conducted a special meeting in Rogers City Monday for the sole purpose of discussing the sale of the 2.09 acres parcel to David and Kathleen Cortez of Northport, Florida. Cortez found a listing of the property on the Internet which prompted him to contact Bob Urlaub of Real Estate One of Rogers City. The Florida man has made an $35,000 offer, which is $5,000 less than what the board was asking.
?HE WOULD put down $20,000 and execute a land contract in the amount of $15,000 for $300 a month at eight percent interest,? said Urlaub, discussing the details of the offer to the board. ?Within a year, or at the end of a year, there would be a one year balloon that he would pay this off,? Urlaub said.
With a purchase agreement in place, an onsite land evaluation will be conducted Monday by the purchaser, who is traveling from Florida this weekend. Cortez is interested in a high traffic area, such as US-23, and is interested in possibly building some type of seasonal ice cream/coffee shop.
THE LOT, which is across the street from the Rogers City Chamber of Commerce office and McDonald?s Restaurant, is close to the US-23/451 Highway intersection. The library started making payments for the two acres in 1992, which was followed by a controversial bond issue going down in flames in August 1992. The proposal to construct the new facility failed, 2,265-966. Eventually, the new Rogers City branch relocated from the present location of The Rock to its current home on Erie Street, which is the former Lakeshore Sporting Goods store. There is a clause in the contract that if Cortez defaults in the agreement he runs the risk of losing $20,000. ?…He
?THAT?S A PRETTY good incentive to not default,? said Beach Hall, library board chairman. The only question from the relatively short meeting came from Beverly Brougham, who is library board?s representative from Onaway. She wanted to know if any credit check had been done. Brougham was told by Urlaub, that while there had been no credit check, one will be run and be added as a term in the purchase agreement.
The board authorized the sale of the land on a unanimous vote, contingent upon the final details being worked out. Two board members were not in attendance.
?This is an answer, at least for some of us, to a 12-year prayer,? said Hall. ?From my viewpoint, I?m very pleased with this development.? If all the details of the agreement fall into place, and Cortez likes what he sees during his visit to Rogers City, the purchase is expected go through. From the city?s standpoint, Hall said, for what Cortez has in mind for a business, the area is already properly zoned. He still would have to submit a site plan to the Planning Commission.