Maquoketa business owner proposes 'land swap' with City

MAQUOKETA, Iowa - Maquoketa city officials are considering what essentially amounts to a "land swap" involving the historic Mitchell-Maskrey Mill.

Mill owner Bob Mitchell, who also operates Maquoketa Feeds, has offered to pay $80,000 for 1.61 acres of city-owned land on Platt Street. In exchange, the city will receive first right of refusal to buy the mill property for $80,000. The option would be good for eight years.

"I will pay the city $80,000," Mitchell said. "The city would not own the land, but it would be available to them."

Maquoketa City Council members this week agreed to start the sale proceedings. Mayor Don Schwenker described it as a "land swap."

It's unclear how the city would use the property, according to City Manager Brian Wagner.

"The city doesn't have a plan for the mill site," Wagner wrote in an email. "But the goal is to have a long-term option on it so that the city can assign the option to a developer if one someday comes in with a development idea for which the City Council wants to see the site used." (full article…)

BY SHERI MELVOLD, Dubuque Telegraph Herald, December 24, 2015. SHERIMEL@YAHOO.COM.

This copyrighted material is posted with permission of TH Media.