Update: Beaufort close to buying Sea Eagle Market

Beaufort's Sea Eagle Market could soon need a new home, one its owners hope turns out for the better.

But the details of a possible sale of the seafood market property are still unclear.

The city is working to buy Sea Eagle Market's property on Boundary Street as part of a plan for a passive park with open views of Battery Creek. The project, in conjunction with Beaufort County and the Beaufort County Open Land Trust, has already secured the Huddle House restaurant and United Way of the Lowcountry.

The deals are contingent on each of the others closing. Both of the latter deals came together at the end of last year, the county agreeing to buy Huddle House and the Land Trust to purchase United Way.

City Council voted Tuesday to allow the city to move forward with Sea Eagle under the terms of an existing contract. But the sellers no longer appear to be on board with those terms.

Sea Eagle owner Craig Reaves said before the vote Tuesday the contract needed to be renegotiated but declined further comment on the specifics of the deal.

"We are more than willing to work with the city to make this park and green space available," he said. " ... As soon as we're able to negotiate the new contract, I think things will move forward rather quickly."

Reaves said he still supports the sale and plans to find another site on Boundary Street.

The Boundary Street redevelopment and a planned concrete median in front of the business warmed Reaves on the prospect of moving. He is eyeing another spot on the street with traffic-light access.

"If it wasn't for the Boundary Street project, I wouldn't be interested in selling," Reaves said. " ... All the changes they want to make on Boundary Street, it's not favorable for any businesses."

Reaves began talks about the plan with the Open Land Trust two years ago and has been in talks with the city for about the past year. The proposed contract is the same the sellers agreed to this past summer, city manager Bill Prokop said.

Allowing the city to execute the current draft of the contract will show the sellers the city is committed to the plan, Mayor Billy Keyserling said. He noted any changes to the contract would have to come back for council approval.

"I would just like to keep the process moving so that we have the ammunition, so that we can say council did everything we said we would do," Keyserling said.

Money for the purchase would come from the city's land acquisition fund. The proposed deal comes as the city is looking to shed excess property.

The city is moving forward with the sale of its former city hall building to Lowcountry Produce, which has operated in the Carteret Street building since 2011. A mistake in property tax billing threatened the deal.

The business's owners weren't billed the past three years' taxes, as stipulated by their lease with the city. Instead, the city footed the bills, totaling about $35,000.

Lowcountry Produce won't have to pay back the money after City Council voted 3-2 to waive repayment so the $725,000 deal could close.

Prokop apologized for the city's error.

"Like everybody, we learn from our mistakes," he said.

Follow reporter Stephen Fastenau on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Stephen.

Related content:

• Update: Beaufort County secures Huddle House to clear way for Boundary Street park, Dec. 17, 2015
• Beaufort City Council looks at buying, selling millions in property, March 17, 2015
• Boundary St. property eyed for creating Beaufort gateway; Wendy's renovation plans proceed, Feb. 5, 2015

This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 9:52 AM with the headline "Update: Beaufort close to buying Sea Eagle Market."