Redevelopment commission to ask council to consider deeding 104 South Holland Street to ERC

The Edinburgh Redevelopment Commission voted at its Aug. 10 meeting to ask the Town Council to consider deeding the town‑owned building at 104 South Holland Street to the commission so the ERC can manage leasing and direct revenue to downtown redevelopment uses.

Commissioners said ERC could run a request‑for‑proposals that evaluates proposals not only on rent but on how well a tenant advances the downtown development plan. A commissioner noted that ERC may face "less red tape" than the town in structuring leases and that lease proceeds could fund facade grants and other downtown investments. "If it was not leased for a certain amount of time, we can have something in the proposal where the council could help pay for those utilities as they do right now," one commissioner said.

Town attorney Justin Holson outlined tax implications for leasing government property, saying the assessor determines real property tax treatment and that government entities are generally exempt, but leases to private tenants can change that analysis. The commission debated who would handle legal fees, whether TIF funds could be used for legal or match costs, and the council's willingness to transfer the building.

A commissioner formally moved that ERC ask the Town Council if it would be willing to deed 104 South Holland Street to ERC so the commission could pursue leasing and redevelopment options; another commissioner seconded. The motion carried; the transcript records "motion carried," but does not list an individual vote tally.

Christie Riley, vice president of Edinburgh Main Street, addressed the commission during public comment and urged support for the transfer, saying Edinburgh Main Street would help find and support a long‑term tenant. "Edinburgh Main Street wants to absolutely help you in all the ways to get that filled with a tenant that could be long term," she said.

The commission instructed staff to check tax and procurement implications and asked the town attorney to raise the proposal with the Town Council for feedback before the ERC returns with more detailed parameters and potential lease terms.

Note on transcript inconsistency: the building is referred to throughout the discussion as "104 South Holland Street" but is later called "104 South Collins Street" in one motion; the commission asked staff to confirm the correct address before forwarding the request to council.