Winder Mayor Chip Thompson announced Tuesday that Mitch Williams has offered to buy the historic property for $250,000.
The Downtown Development Authority (DDA), the legal owners of the building, approved the sale on Monday.
In accordance with the terms of an intergovernmental agreement, the DDA must receive authorization from the Winder City Council before finalizing the agreement. Council voted unanimously to allow the DDA to proceed with contract negotiations.
If the sale is completed, Williams plans to gut the interior of the building and essentially construct a metal building within the hotel’s shell. The bottom floor will be designated as retail space while the upper floor will be designed for use as a hotel or condominiums.
“He wants to take it back to its original glory,” said Thompson.
In other business, the council voted unanimously to abandon a portion of Bush Avenue as part of an agreement with the developers of the new Walgreens.
In exchange for a portion of Bush Avenue, the city will receive a parcel of land on the corner of May Street and Broad Street to facilitate traffic improvements at that intersection. Bush Avenue will become one-way with one lane heading towards Broad Street.
