Batavia considers spending $180,000 to study church site

The city of Batavia could spend $180,000 on a study of the First Baptist Church property before putting a "For Sale" sign out front.

The city's community development committee recommended a contract for a "redevelopment plan" for the property with S.B. Friedman & Company on Tuesday night.

The 18-month plan will include engineering for the site, financial projections, a market analysis and a comprehensive list of options that the city and community would support for the site.

By "front-loading" the process, and letting developers know what the community and city wants there, it will make the property more marketable and eventually more profitable, said Randy Recklaus, assistant city administrator.

The site, which includes the church and parking lot, spans three-quarters of a city block next to the busiest intersection in town, at Route 25 and Wilson Street, Recklaus said. There is potential for it to kick-start downtown redevelopment, he said.

"I think we'll get a lot of benefit from it and have a better product to offer at the end," said Alderman Linnea Miller.

The city met with not-for-profit groups earlier this year and received letters from three groups interested in the church, Recklaus said. Those groups still might be able to use the building in the interim, he said.

Alderman Jim Volk said he would like to see the building used by community groups or others in the time the study is being completed.

The city bought the church in 2005 for $715,000, when officials thought it was needed for a project to eliminate the Route 25 "jog" at Wilson Street. That project was eventually deemed infeasible.

The plan now goes to the city council for approval.