Port Huron’s City Manager plans to ask city council later this month to officially put the “for sale” sign on the Municipal Office Center. James Freed, speaking to WPHM’s Paul Miller Thursday morning, announced intentions to formally list the MOC. It’s not the first attempt at selling the building, as Freed says the city has been showing the Municipal Office Center to prospective buyers for over three years now.
“Everyone says ‘sell city hall’… well easier said than done,” Freed told WPHM. “We’ve been trying to sell it for three years… $5 million is a lot of money, and they you’re going to need $10 million dollars to redevelop it… not many developers have that kind of fire power, it’s not as easy as people think just to unload a building,” said Freed.
The listing agreement with Kramer Commercial Realty is expected to be placed on the agenda for the September 27th City Council meeting. He adds that any sale of the Municipal Office Center would need to be put up to a public vote per the city charter as it is waterfront property, however the city does expect to retain the boardwalk and Keifer park. Freed declined to comment on where city hall might be re-located to if the MOC is sold.
