A bold move by the Downtown Development Authority has opened the door for a private developer to restore dilapidated property within the heart of downtown Milledgeville.
The DDA board, whose mission through the Milledgeville Main Street organization is to inspire public and private investment towards the revitalization of the downtown business district, vowed to wipe out city-imposed liens over the properties at 107 and 115 S. Wayne St. so David Sinclair and his Baldwin Investment Group (B.I.G.) can move forward with the purchase and reconstruction of said property.
The liens, around $13,500, were placed so the city could recoup its costs in fencing and legal fees after the property owner, All-Star Properties & Investments, did nothing to clean the site up when the roof over the downtown buildings collapsed Memorial Day 2018. In incurring those costs, the city was abating what was ruled as a public nuisance by Milledgeville Municipal Court Judge J. David McRee in June. The city had planned to, under the judge’s order, clean up the site itself when All-Star and B.I.G. signed a sale contract early last month. B.I.G. asked that the liens be waived, saying it was unwilling to cover those extra costs and that the city should go after the property seller instead. The city stood firm until DDA, via a letter from Board Chair downtown business owner Adam Heagy, announced its intent to present Sinclair’s group with a “forgivable loan” for the lien amount so the developer could do the work rather than the city.
“We’re very grateful for the Downtown Development Authority,” Matt Roessing, an attorney for B.I.G., said Wednesday. “They really made this deal happen. It’s going to end up being something really nice downtown when we’re all done.”
Now all parties are waiting for the real…
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