Monnette's Market gets more time to finalize deal in Maumee

9/4/2018

A market in Maumee is still on track to open in the uptown area, although the process is dragging on a bit longer than expected.

City council voted 6-0 Tuesday night to grant Monnette's Market an extension to complete an agreement with the city on land purchased earlier this year. Councilman Brent Buehrer abstained, citing a conflict of interest.

City Administrator John Jezak said the extension will give both sides until Dec. 1 to complete the deal.

“There hasn't been any one factor why this deal hasn’t gotten done quicker, but both parties have been unwavering in their commitment to seeing that the deal is culminated,” Mr. Jezak said. “There are certain things [Monnette’s] can’t do. Some of those things are required actions by the city, and we haven’t done that yet. It’s probably more on our end than their end.”

The new market is slated for the 200 block of Conant Street on land once owned by Maumee. Mr. Jezak said a few hurdles still need to be cleared before Monnette’s starts building.

BLADE BRIEFING: Monnette's Market given more time to finalize

Monnette’s will go before Maumee’s design review board Wednesday at 9 a.m. in council chambers to present drawings and designs. New construction and remodeling in the city’s historic uptown area must be approved by the board before a building permit can be issued.

The design review meeting is open to the public.

The green space the 7,000- to 9,000-square-foot structure would occupy had previous tenants, including two gas stations. Mr. Jezak said the market wants assurance the land is safe and suitable.

“Making sure property is clean is a basic part of any real estate purchase,” Mr. Jezak said. “We have certifications from the state that show the property is clean, and we’ll pass those on to them. We believe it’s a good site and there isn’t any problem over there.”

Mr. Jezak said the city is also working on details of a 15-year tax abatement for Monnette’s. City council is expected to vote on that measure Oct. 1, which would abate county and city millages while leaving the school district whole.

Monnette’s is represented by real estate broker Keith Brown, who did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. He has stated he expects 500 customers a day at the new location, which will be the fourth in the Toledo area.

Council approved the sale of the land in February for $306,000 — about $100,000 more than the Lucas County auditor’s valuation. A public hearing held shortly before attracted about 200 people.

Dozens of residents spoke, with those favoring the market 2 to 1. Monnette’s is expected to create 30 to 40 jobs.

Contact Jay Skebba at jskebba@theblade.com, 419-376-9414, or on Twitter @JaySkebba.