Albany Commission finalizes deal for transportation center

ALBANY — City Manager Sharon Subadan has built a reputation for her calm-in-the-storm demeanor, but she proved at Tuesday’s Albany City Commission meeting that she can get tough if the situation warrants.

After seeing the commission meeting devolve into another treatise on race by citizen William Wright, who among other things accused the city of paying off the note for the “failing” Hilton Garden Inn, Subadan, who’d told Wright a couple of times that his accusations were unfounded, finally had enough when Wright responded, “That’s what you say.”

“You are factually incorrect, sir,” Subadan said, her voice rising for emphasis.

Mayor Dorothy Hubbard finally ended the discussion, which was about a request for a $3 million loan by developer Jason Benedict that he will use to build a $13.5 million development at 207 Pine Ave. downtown. The loan for the development, which will include an 88-room “boutique hotel,” a data center that focuses on blockchain technology and a rooftop restaurant, was approved by the commission with a 6-0-1 vote. Ward II Commissioner Matt Fuller abstained from the vote.

Wright did get the satisfaction of having Ward I Commissioner Jon Howard suggest the city look into creating a minority procurement program that would be charged with helping minority, female and small businesses procure more work on city projects.

During that discussion, Ward III Commissioner B.J. Fletcher, commenting on Howard’s remark that a majority of businesses in the city would soon be run by women, quipped, “If we’re going to be a city of women, we have hope.”

The commission also voted to approve in principle, pending several factors, a plan to purchase property from Destiny Travel at 300 W. Oglethorpe Blvd. and 303 Highland Ave. for $1.42 million. The city would make that property a transportation center, ending two decades of wrangling to finally get the mostly state- and federally-funded project off the ground.

Unconfirmed, but widely discussed, rumors indicate a student housing development for Albany State University is tied into that project.

The commission also:

— Agreed to an as-needed contract with Lee Redi Mix for $326,400 for materials that would be used to repair transportation infrastructure;

— OK’d an alcohol license for The Flint restaurant at 112 Pine Ave. and a license transfer for Hong Kong Cafe at 2700 Dawson Road;

— Voted to approve an easement agreement with Thronateeska Heritage Foundation as part of the Downtown Connector portion of the Flint River Trails System;

— Reached a memorandum of understanding with Chehaw park for hurricane debris removal.

“As long as everyone stays true to their word, we should be reimbursed (by FEMA) for the debris removal,” Subadan said. “We’re doing everything to make sure we get reimbursed.”