The owner of the lot, Shaw Growth Ventures, and the city have been involved in negotiations for the city to buy the property — 65 Main St., which includes an office building and the 81-spot parking lot — for months.
Last week Shaw ordered the lot closed to the public.
The city’s lawyer said Shaw was using “bullying tactics” and not negotiating in good faith. Last month Aldermen voted to “explore the option” of acquiring the property through eminent domain.
Shaw’s managing director said the city was the one being the bully.
The Board of Aldermen met Sept. 21 and voted to offer Shaw $9,000 for the public use of the lot for three months, and to take an easement on the property by eminent domain if necessary.
The city announced on Facebook Thursday that the public can use the lot again.
A “No Parking” sign that had been placed at the entrance to the lot Wednesday was gone Thursday.
John Marini, the city’s corporation counsel, said in an email the city and Shaw struck an agreement whereby the city agreed to insure the lot and hold off on starting any eminent domain actions — for either the property itself or the easement to use the parking lot — for three months.
The city also agreed to pay Shaw $1, a legal nicety.
In exchange, Shaw will let the public use the lot again.
“In the meantime, we will continue to negotiate with the owner on a voluntary sales agreement,” Marini said in an email.
Shaw’s managing partner, Vasilios Lefkaditis, said last week that the company’s insurance company had made them close the lot to public use out of liability concerns.
Lefkaditis said Thursday his company declined the city’s $9,000 offer.
“I told them as a sign of good faith, I don’t want the money,” he said. “I told them i would do it for $1 as a sign of good faith and they addressed my primary concern, meaning liablity.”
Marini said it won’t cost the city any additional money “to place Shaw Growth Ventures on the lot as an additional insured.”
He said the new deal between the city and Shaw was within the bounds of last week’s actions by the Aldermen.
“The Mayor can negotiate contracts in the best interest of the city, and certainly this action was in the scope of his authority,” he said. “As you know, the aldermen authorized the expenditure of $9,000 to keep the lot open for three months. The agreement keeps the lot open for three months at no additional cost.”
A copy of the agreement between the city and Shaw is below.
Parking License by The Valley Indy on Scribd
