On Tuesday, Norman City Council will reconsider the purchase of 5451 Huettner Drive, which could be used for a permanent 24/7 homeless shelter.
The item was pulled off the Jan. 23 council meeting agenda. City Clerk Brenda Hall told OU Daily after the meeting that the item was pulled due to problems regarding the location and the distance from homelessness resources.
According to Tuesday’s city council meeting agenda, the property was listed for $1 million but the city negotiated a purchase price of $940,000, reflecting the appraised value of the property, which is located behind Extended Stay America Select Suites beside North I-35.
Ward 7 Councilmember Stephen Tyler Holman wrote in a text message to OU Daily that the property was suggested to the council by a resident and downtown property owner.
“It is definitely not ideal ... but it’s really the only option we have been able to come across,” Holman wrote. “It could be a site for a shelter but we will likely need voter approval to fund the construction of a permanent shelter.”
Last time the question went to a public vote in the Go Norman 2020 bonds, there was no plan and no location identified according to Holman. Proposition 2 aimed to allocate $5 million to construct one or more homelessness solutions. The bond measure saw a narrow defeat, but was turned down with 11,579 “No” votes to 11,212 “Yes,” according to the Oklahoma State Election Board unofficial results.
“If a shelter does not work out on that property, it could end up being used for other state, county, or non profit services, or we could sell it,” Holman wrote. “Based on the location near I-35, the property is likely to only increase in value.”
The property is currently zoned as a planned unit development, according to the agenda, but the city’s intended use as an emergency 24/7 shelter would require rezoning it for municipal use.
According to the agenda, if the purchase is approved, the city will transfer $25,000 in earnest to the closing company, which will later apply to the purchase price. The city will have an inspection period of 60 days during which it can terminate the agreement without penalty. Closing costs are anticipated to be no more than $5,000.
This story was edited by Peggy Dodd and Anusha Fathepure. Avery Avery copy edited this story.
