Photo courtesy of Angie Petersen. Photo of the damage to Angie's Teagarden

The City of Jefferson is looking to purchase another downtown commercial building. 

Earlier this year, Angie’s Teagarden, located at the intersection of State Street and Wilson Avenue, was forced to close due to a water line that broke from a vacant second-story apartment that flooded the main floor restaurant. However, the City of Jefferson has a signed purchase agreement to take ownership from the current building owner, John Copeland. 

City Administrator Mike Palmer says the purchase agreement is contingent upon City Council approval. However, by the City purchasing the building, they plan to remove the asbestos and make structural and roof repairs. Palmer points out, the City will use tax increment financing (TIF) funds of up to $150,000 to make necessary repairs. He adds, the Council approved using TIF funds a few years ago to help improve any city-owned commercial buildings. 

“One of the big concerns (that’s) always out there is the City is acquiring another building. In this case, we have an end user already lined up. So the City will just take possession of it, long enough to do the (asbestos) abatements, and to do the improvements that need to be done that we do for any building (the City owns). And then we can turn it back over to the private developer and get it back on the tax rolls.”

The purchase agreement will be formally acted on by the Council at a future meeting.