City of Blaine, Family Care Network reach property deal

The city of Blaine and Family Care Network (FCN) have reached an agreement for the purchase of about 2.5 acres of property currently owned by the city and located on the Gateway property, formerly the site of the Blaine Municipal Airport.

FCN intends to build a new medical center on the property, including an outpatient family medicine clinic, a medical laboratory and an urgent care center open to FCN and non-FCN patients.

At the September 9 city council meeting, councilmembers voted unanimously to authorize city manager Michael Jones to sign a purchase and sale agreement on behalf of the city. Although he was not present at the meeting, FCN president and CEO Rodney Anderson delivered a message to councilmembers thanking them.

“I am pleased to report that FCN has agreed to terms and will be signing the purchase and sale agreement within the week,” Anderson said in prepared remarks delivered by an associate. “We have begun working with two local architects on site layout/building design and are excited to keep the ball moving forward on this project.”

According to the agreement, FCN is buying the land for $3.10 per square foot, bringing the total purchase price to an estimated $337,590. The size and dimensions are subject to site planning and final agreement between the buyer and seller.

In addition, a hold back agreement allows for up to 10 percent of the purchase price to be returned to the buyer as a rebate, if two performance standards are met: receipt of an occupancy permit within 24 months of closing, and creation of at least one full-time job for every 500 square feet of building floor area. If both measures are achieved, the effective purchase price would be $2.79 per square foot.

FCN’s proposal originally involved property at the north end of the site adjacent to H Street, SR-543 and Grant Avenue. Negotiations changed the location to a middle portion of the site, just north of the area sold last year to Boblett Properties LLC for construction of a restaurant, convenience store and vehicle fueling center. The proposed parcel would extend from SR-543 to Grant Avenue.