Batavia adds to possible Wilson Street site

Batavia is spending $179,000 to buy property at 111 E. Wilson St., considering it valuable to potential future redevelopment of the block.

The city council authorized the purchase Monday night.

The site contains a small masonry building. It is really to the rear of 115 E. Wilson, but a narrow leg connects it to Wilson. To its east is the parking lot for the former First Baptist Church, which the city owns, and to the west is a city-owned parking deck. It has a 2,494-square-foot industrial building on it.

Phil Elfstrom is the seller.

In 2008 the city hired a consultant to come up with a redevelopment concepts for the block, to show developers what the city wanted and was prepared to allow. But no projects have been proposed.

According to Batavia Township assessment records, the site was last sold in 1998 for $40,380. Its 2012 assessed valuation was $30,597; assessed value is roughly one-third of market value.