Hollister council members Tuesday put off a decision by 90 days on whether to sell the city’s plot in the 400 block of San Benito Street.
Council members Tuesday considered one proposal received before the initial deadline of Jan. 5 from the Del Curto Group. It would include retail and condominium space in three stories along with a courtyard and open-air balconies, according to a council agenda report.
But Del Curto asked for a 45-day extension to iron out the proposal, and city officials granted 90 days to allow time for more proposals. Del Curto Group noted how the Dec. 25-Jan. 5 bidding period was insufficient due to the holidays.
The city’s stated goal is to sell the two parcels, totaling about 18,000 square feet, to a private developer to construct a “keystone commercial or mixed/use development as a catalyst for economic development” downtown, according to the agenda report. The minimum proposal amount would have to meet at least the appraised value of $290,000.
The city’s former Redevelopment Agency has owned the property, demolished in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, but the city is moving to sell it with the RDA dissolving three years ago.
In recent years, the city has promoted use of the plot for nonprofits and others putting on activities open to the public.
