Special Council Meeting: 1033 Franken Gateway Purchase (2025-12-08)
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Special Council Meeting: 1033 Franken Gateway Purchase (2025-12-08)
On December 8, 2025, the Mariana City Council convened a special meeting to discuss and finalize the acquisition of the combined property located at 1033 Franken Gateway from IKEA. The meeting began with an Executive Session to deliberate on the property acquisition, followed by public discussion where Councilmembers unanimously supported the purchase to secure community control over the former IKEA site, noting that IKEA had offered to sell the land after failing to develop it itself.
Consent Calendar
- [No specific items listed in this section; all routine matters were addressed via the main agenda items.]
Public Comments & Testimony
- [No specific public comments recorded in this transcript; deliberation was conducted by Council members regarding the project details.]
Discussion Items
- Motion to Enter/Exit Executive Session: The Council unanimously (7-0) voted to enter an Executive Session specifically for property acquisition matters and subsequently to exit it.
- Property Scope Clarification: Councilwoman (identified as "from warning" in transcript, likely a transcription error for a name) proposed an amendment to explicitly clarify that the purchase includes both the original parcel sold by the city (Tract One: 28.65 acres) and the additional shopping center land purchased by IKEA from a private investor (Tract Two: 6.6183 acres), totaling 35.2683 acres.
- Clarification of Property History:
- Project Description: The property consists of two parcels previously sold to IKEA (one by the city, one by a private investor) which IKEA later combined. The amendment noted that former tenant lease claims and rights were resolved by IKEA prior to the sale.
- Speaker Position (Council Member): Expressed concern about potential confusion regarding the "exemption plat" and requested specific language to ensure the motion clearly defined the combined acreage and tracts.
- Final Purchase Motion: A motion was made to approve the purchase and sale agreement between the City of Mariana and IKEA Property Inc. for the combined 1033 Franken Gateway property (including former addresses 1019 and 1033), authorizing the Mayor, City Manager, and City Attorney to execute terms and handle closing.
Key Outcomes
- Vote on Amendment: The motion to amend the purchase description to include the specific tract details and total acreage (35.2683 acres) passed unanimously.
- Vote on Purchase: The final motion to approve the purchase and sale agreement passed unanimously.
- Authorization: The Mayor, City Manager, and City Attorney were authorized to execute the agreement and manage the closing process.
- Next Steps: Mr. Haney is assigned to handle the closing. The Council intends to determine the future use of the property in a subsequent journey following the closing.
Meeting Transcript
Council special meeting order, please. The first item is we're going to talk about the purchase of ten thirty three Franken Gateway. And just for information tonight is just about IKEA was never able to come forward, and so they came to us and say they would sell it. As you can tell by the people that live on Prick and Road that it hear it's important what happens to it. But we could we as a community through the city council can control the destiny better by buying this. I'm not robbing the council, which is that's the reason for the call. And IKEA was kind enough to give us basically you know a shot at it. So we could given that we have a motion to go in executive session, we're gonna talk about it, and then that in about fifteen or twenty minutes later, we'll come and talk about the purchase. And then if that all goes through and Mr. Haney handles the closing, then the destiny about the use that property will be will be a journey that we will foretake right after that. Is there a motion to go in executive session? For which matters for um property acquisition, I'm sorry. Do we need to have any other things outside of acquisition as part of this? We do not. If you want to um well, you could if you wanted to go. The question was asked about those uh denial claims that are in the regular agenda and are under cover. If you wanted to discuss any of those, you could make a motion to discuss those also. No, it that's not on agenda for the special call. Okay. Okay. We might have to duck in out again. Yes, sir. We're just joking. Uh is there a motion? All those in favor, please raise your right hand. Motion carry seven oh. Is there a motion to come out of Jacob session? So moved. Second. All those in favor, please run in. Motion carries Shev Mo. Chair recognizes the councilwoman from warning to make a motion. We start with the motion here. I make a motion to approve the purchase and sale agreement between the City of Mariana as purchaser and IKEA Property Inc. Franklin Gateway, Marietta, Georgia, three zero zero six seven, and to authorize the mayor to execute same and to authorize the mayor, the city manager and the city attorney to carry out all of the terms and conditions set forth in the purchase and sale agreement. Yes, it is. Um the original when the city had originally sold the property to IKEA, we had sold just one of those two, and then they acquired the other one. So this time we're buying back, we're buying we're buying back the one we had as well as the additional land they had bought. Is that correct? Yes, there were two parcels. Uh we had the one and a private investor had the other, and uh they bought it from both, and then we're acquiring the combined parcel. Okay. Um because there might be it might be a confusion about what we're buying on that end because of the exemption plat. Would it be better to probably include it within the motion some kind of notation that um 1033 than for um for um or as can um as combined by exemption plat for the previous addresses of 1019 and 1033 or something along those lines? Would that be appropriate? That would be correct. For the record, the chair recognizes you to make a an amendment. I'd like to make a motion to amend I wonder a little bit of what to incorporate that, Mr. Henny. Would you have any suggestions?
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