Staff writer
Hillsboro City Council voted to sell 3.7 acres of land in the Hillsboro Heights addition off U.S. 56 to a holding company Tuesday.
The plot will be used to build an undisclosed store, which cannot be named because of a confidentiality agreement with the holding company, Southeast Kansas Development. However, Clint Seibel, economic development director, said the store will sell fuel, groceries, and pharmaceuticals.
“I can say this company is within the top 100 of Fortune’s list of 500,” Siebel said. “It will be a smaller format than their larger stores and will employ 20 to 30 people.”
Seibel said the company hopes to be open by year’s end, and can close on the property four months from now.
Hillsboro will sell the 3.7 acres for $55,500 and will vacate easements running through the middle of the property.
“There are some easements that go right down the middle of the property,” Seibel said. “We will vacate those so they can build a store the size they want.”
The store will occupy the largest plot in the addition.
The council met in executive session for 30 minutes with Seibel, Darin Neufeld and Andrew Brunner of EBH, and city attorney Joshua Boehm to discuss contract details.
The council accepted a $116,000 grant from Kansas Department of Transportation to chip and seal all asphalt services.
Bids will be accepted in May for work to be completed over the summer months.
The new seal coat should last five to six years, Neufeld said.
In other business:
- The council agreed to purchase a Hustler lawn mower from Ag Power for $11,685. The mower will replace an old mower currently used to mow around city streets. The city will keep the old mower to use with the stump grinder.
- The council approved a two-year agreement with Adams, Brown, Beran, and Ball Accounting Firm for audit services for $14,005 for 2013, and $14,656 for 2014.