Lac La Biche County council has agreed to sell the property at 10308-103 St. purchased by the previous council, with the buyer paying $131,000. That’s less than half of what the county originally paid for the property.
The purchase of the property – commonly known as a building associated with the local drug trade – was met with disapproval by many taxpayers.
During last week’s meeting council was asked to choose between two offers, with $1,000 difference between the two. They chose the higher bid, and will be demolishing the house that currently sits in the property before the title is transferred.
The house was once the scene of late night parties, noise complaints, and drug dealing, as well as numerous safety code violations. After numerous attempts to solve the problems associated with the tenants, the previous council agreed to purchase the property for $239,000.
After an inspection the house was found to be unsafe, and deemed a safety hazard.
The property, minus the house, was assessed at $128,000.
Both proposals to council called for a multi-family housing unit to be built on the site, with the winning bid proposing a four or six unit building. The developer, Otto Fayad, is proposing to use local builders and products, with “quality, comfort, affordability, and style in mind” according to his submission to council.
Once completed, Fayad plans on renting the units, with his proposal noting “there is a major demand and lack of decent rental properties.”