A few houses down from the one he grew up in on Fifth Avenue South, Jerome Stephenson remembers playing basketball on a court at a nearby property.
On Tuesday, Stephenson became the owner of that property after the city council accepted his $2,000 bid to purchase the two parcels located there, which were declared surplus in March.
Stephenson, a Realtor with Crye-Leike Real Estate Services, said revitalizing the unused space is a “deeply personal” project for him.
“Those properties were a basketball court, and that’s where we used to go when I was a kid,” he told The Dispatch.
The city began advertising the lots, near the Fifth Avenue intersection with 23rd Street South, for sale in March, requiring a minimum bid of $1,000 per lot with the stipulation that the purchaser begin single-family home construction there within six months after closing. If the same buyer purchases both lots, construction must begin on the second lot within 12 months of closing, with completion in 24 months.
If a buyer fails to meet those standards, the property would revert back to the city.
The Lowndes County tax assessor’s office records show the lots appraised at $1,800 each, though tax assessor appraisals are typically significantly lower than true market value.
By advertising for bids with a required minimum bid amount below the appraised value, the city could tack on the extra requirements.
City Attorney Jeff Turnage said Stephenson plans to build two homes on the lots, as required by the city’s advertisement.
“My goal is to contribute something positive, help bring new life to underused parcels and be a strong presence in the community,” Stephenson said. “I want this project to reflect growth but also serve as an example of what’s possible for the next generation.”
Other business
In other business during the Tuesday night meeting, the council:
■ voted 5-1, with Ward 2 Councilman Roderick Smith voting against, to award The Columbus Packet the contract to publish the city’s legal notices for the next year; and
■ unanimously approved hiring an attorney to serve as substitute for city prosecutor at $200 per case due to conflicts of interest.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
