ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) -Albany city commissioners have approved a $780,000 purchase of property at 1310 North Jefferson Street for a new Parks and Recreation facility, though the approval faced resistance from one commissioner over public notice concerns.

The property sits at the intersection of North Jefferson Street and Seventh Avenue and currently houses Tri State Floral Supply. The flower shop is moving to another location on North Jefferson Street.

City Commissioner Willie Weaver said the city’s vision for the property is still being discussed, but possible plans include a new headquarters for Parks and Recreation or a community center serving Ward 2.

“The Rec has an antiquated building. People come down here to talk to them about building $9 million structures, and they go to a place that looks like, I don’t know what, but it’s not a good place, and it’s too small for the Rec’s administration,” Weaver said.

Weaver said the building was appraised at $980,000 but sold to the city for $780,000. City officials said three to five additional parcels behind the property are also being given to the city — a donation valued at about $200,000.

“It would be ludicrous to me to not accept a lower amount for the building and getting some parcels free for the city to do something that the city needs to do,” Weaver said.

Commissioner raises notice concerns

While the purchase passed, Commissioner Diana Brown abstained from the vote. She said the public needed to be given proper notice.

“And my concern is that this meeting was private. And they were shut out. And there was nobody in this meeting but the city councilors, city commissioners, and as well as our mayor and our lawyer,” Brown said.

The notice did not appear on the city’s calendar as it typically does. Instead, the notice was posted on the city clerk’s website under public notices. The meeting also was not livestreamed on the city’s website, and WALB was not notified. The city said that it was due to an email bounce-back.

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