Purchase foster street properties
I think that the other lots that are on Foster should be purchased to run the magnificent waterfront plans the town has developed. Seeing as one house was purchased for 420,000 why not the lot in between as well? There is no tear down that needs to take place hence validating the purchase when you take into consideration the cleanup and tear down cost of the other purchased site. The plans though look great. Hopefully all the land on foster can be acquired and developed to make it a grand presence with the marina
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Anonymous commented
Please ensure that you use a Leamington tax paying lawyer and an agent that is a resident of Leamington to avoid skeptism and to support your Leamington tax paying citizens
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Mayor John Paterson commented
Karen, we are still assembling the lands that will help us complete this waterfront vision and that could take some time. But, we do have plans for the near future on the lands we do own and if budget planning goes as anticipated, you could see some of the ideas come to fruition in 2016. Our CAO and EDO have held meetings with potential investors/designers of waterfront properties with a focus on tourism related amenities, not residential developments. We want this to be a destination and will do our best to ensure its quality. But if you have any ideas or know others who do, please feel free to submit them to Town Hall so we can include them in our planning efforts.
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Mayor John Paterson commented
Sandra, "Same", "Anonymous", I have already answered the question. With past experience of how inflated land prices can get or how there is no flexibility in pricing when a Municipality is involved, we did what we felt necessary to obtain the best possible price by allowing our lawyer to select a real estate agent to do the negotiating for the first property purchase. That kept the Municipality's name out of the picture until the purchase was made. We did so with the best interest of the taxpayers in mind. The following purchases were done through the same lawyer who selected a local agent. We are spending taxpayer dollars on this venture and will proceed in a fashion that will get the best value for the dollars spent. No backroom politics or otherwise, just good strategic planning. We are hoping to negotiate a fair price for the next pieces based on what we have paid for the others, and will be working directly with other waterfront property owners in a similar fashion until we have accumulated all the lands we hope to own.
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Sandra commented
Most agents act independanly. You should have used an agent from Leamington... Or a broker for this transaction.
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Sandra commented
The agent does not live in Leamington, or pay Leamington taxes.
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Sandra commented
You comment mr. Mayor undermines the real estate professionals. Call it like it is. There is an agent from out of town that someone was friends with and wanted a Christmas bonus. It wasn't the best interst if our town. Someone should be held accountable for back room politics. How come no responses?
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Same commented
Would have been wiser to pay the property owner 30,000 extra. That way the money stayed in town and to an individual outside of the town. Mr. Mayor with all due respect have you heard of a confidentially clause in negotiations? Shame on you for not using a businessman from town then you encourage everyone to shop local? Eat your words....
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Karen commented
Have the rest of the properties been bought yet? I have to agree with the other comments there should be a Leamington taxpayer that should have been used to complete the sale if posible. Why not negotiate directly? Would you not obtain a better price that way?
When will this development take place. I think it is a great project. Leamington needs something like this. -
Anonymous commented
So let me get this straight you gave around $30,000 commission to someone who lives out of the town Leamington
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Anonymous commented
When should all this take place?
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Z commented
It was my understanding though that agent was not a townsperson
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Mayor John Paterson commented
Z. After we completed the purchase of the first piece for $ 420 k, the Waterfront Bar & Grill property (the largest and most costly piece of the puzzle) was purchased through an agent at Century 21 in Leamington.
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Z commented
Which?
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Z commented
WhI have property was bought afterwards using an agent from Leamington?
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Mayor John Paterson commented
Z, to keep our efforts to buy up the waterfront quiet, and get the best price for the purchase when using taxpayer dollars, for the first and most strategic piece we chose to use someone not connected to the municipality. The other land purchases we have made since, we used a local agent just as we will in future purchases as we have now made our plans public.
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Z commented
Why would the town use a real estate agent who resides outside of Leamington? There are many capable real estate agents
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Tina commented
Great concept. Why were the land deals not done with local real estate agents. I would think you should encourage someone from our town to do the deal and not someone from another town who pays their taxes elsewhere like what was done for the purchase of the other 2 properties.
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Sandra commented
Cool
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cory commented
Why the wait for the other properties? I don't get it. According to my knowledge they are in the same ballpark if it's the ones listed on mls system
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Janice commented
Looking forward to seeing the development of the area this is exactly what Leamington needs to attract tourists. How long before all this is scheduled to take place? What is the time frame of property and development