The construction of a mixed-use building in downtown Aiken is one step closer to reality.
The Aiken City Council voted unanimously Monday evening to approve a framework agreement with the Aiken Corporation regarding the construction of the building.
The Aiken Corporation is a nonprofit organization geared toward economic development within the city.
The building would be around 36,000 square feet in size including 24,000 for a potential tenant to lease office space and 12,000 for event or conference space.
Battelle Savannah River Alliance, the manager and operator of the Savannah River National Laboratory, received permission from the Department of Energy in December to begin negotiating a lease for the office space.
The framework agreement has seven points.
First, the city and Aiken Corporation are to negotiate a purchase-and-sale agreement for three properties located in the 100 block of Newberry Street N.W. The addresses of two of the properties are 133 and 141 Newberry St. N.W. The third property does not have an address.
The Aiken Corporation owns the properties. The Aiken Corporation's for-profit, rent-payment accepting arm, LED Corporation, paid $650,000 to purchase the properties July 18, 2022, according to Aiken County property tax records.
And the city would purchase them.
Second, the city has received $20 million allocated from the state's settlement with the federal government over plutonium stored at the Savannah River Site to purchase the properties and will use that money to construct the building.
Third, the city and a for-profit, rent accepting arm of the Aiken Corporation to be formed later negotiate a second purchase-and-sale agreement for the newly formed entity to become the owner of the building.
Fourth, the purchase price of the completed building would be equal to the amount of money the city invested in the project. Fifth, the city will finance the newly-formed entity's purchase of the building on an interest-free basis.
Sixth, the agreement is null if the city council doesn't approve it.
The Aiken Corporation approved the agreement Feb. 14.
And seventh, both parties need to agree in writing to amend the agreement.
Councilman Ed Woltz made the motion to approve the agreement.
Councilwoman Andrea Gregory seconded his motion.
City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh said Feb. 14 the City Council could consider the first purchase-and-sale agreement March 12.
The Aiken Corporation also much reach an agreement with BSRA on the terms of the lease.
"We've had good discussions with them," Buzz Rich, chairman of the Aiken Corporation board, said Monday evening. "I think we're basically on the same page."
Rich added the term of the lease could be 10 years but would have options for BSRA to exit the agreement if Congress doesn't provide funding for the lease in a particular budget year. He added he and the BSRA negotiators didn't think this would happen.
As far as construction timelines, Rich told the Aiken Rotary Club on Monday he felt construction could be happening next year and a ribbon-cutting ceremony held in 2026.
The council also approved second and final readings of ordinances:
• approving the Department of Energy's lease of land at the Aiken Regional Airport for Savannah River Site air quality monitoring; and
• amending the city's budget to include opioid settlement funds.
The council approved first readings of ordinances:
• annexing, zoning and approving a concept plan for a Clayton Homes display lot to be built at 1740 Richland Ave. E.;
• annexing and zoning a single-family home at 1940 Huntsman Drive;
• annexing and zoning single-family homes located at 922, 924 and 926 Hampton Ave.; and
• annexing and zoning a single-family home at 232 Lakeside Drive S.W.
The council also approved a resolution setting its 2024 goals.
