Cashmere mayor wants locals to get first chance at former library building

CASHMERE — As the City of Cashmere prepares to sell its former library building, Mayor Jim Fletcher said he wants local entrepreneurs to have the first opportunity to consider the property before the city begins evaluating purchase offers.

The Cashmere City Council on Monday approved a personal services agreement with local real estate broker Randy Baldwin to market the downtown building, which has an initial listing price of $684,000.

Before the property is formally offered for sale, however, Fletcher said he would like to establish a 30-day advertising period to give local business owners time to evaluate the opportunity, secure financing and prepare proposals.

"I just wanted to give the local people at least a chance to look at it," Fletcher said. "Because if they're a business, they're going to have to arrange financing and other things in order to even come together with a solid proposal."

Without that opportunity, Fletcher said, an outside investor could purchase the property before local buyers have time to organize an offer.

The former library building at 300 Woodring St., adjacent to the Cashmere Post Office, is zoned for downtown business uses. Fletcher said he hopes the property ultimately returns to productive commercial use, whether as a retail business or a professional office.

"Ideally, it would be a retail business," he said. "I'm not holding my breath on that. More than likely, it's going to be a professional service just given the size and shape of the building, but it could make a nice retail store, too."

Councilmember Jeff Johnson agreed that giving local buyers an opportunity was worthwhile but questioned whether local ownership should take precedence over the eventual use of the property.

"I'm less concerned whether it's somebody local or outside that buys it and more interested in what the end use of it's going to be and if it's going to be useful and productive for the local residents," Johnson said.

Johnson said an outside investor with the resources to renovate the building and create jobs could ultimately benefit the community more than a local purchaser who lacks the capital to redevelop the site.

Fletcher agreed that the city's goal is not simply to sell the property to the first interested buyer. Because the sale will not be conducted as a traditional bid process, the council will have the opportunity to review proposals in executive session and evaluate prospective buyers, including whether they have the resources to carry out their plans for the building.

"We wouldn't accept the proposal unless they could prove they have the means of executing it," Fletcher said.

The council unanimously approved the agreement authorizing Baldwin to market the property. No timeline has been established for accepting offers beyond Fletcher's proposed 30-day period intended to give local buyers an opportunity to compete.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media