Counteroffer thwarts sale of Clearwater church land
The sale's collapse over the $17.9-million asked for Calvary Baptist stalls city plans to remake downtown.
By JENNIFER FARRELL
Published October 17, 2003
[Times photo (2000): Jim Damaske]
The $17.9-million asking price for Calvary Baptist Church's lands, bottom left and top right (with dome), which flank Clearwater City Hall, is called ridiculous by one of the investment group's partners.
CLEARWATER - An ambitious proposal by a local investment group to buy Calvary Baptist Church and build condominiums and retail shops on the downtown waterfront appears dead, with the two sides more than $3-million apart.
On Thursday, Abdi R. Boozar-Jomehri said he and his partners will pass on a $17.9-million counteroffer from church negotiators, which came in response to the group's original $14.75-million bid for the property overlooking Clearwater Harbor.
"It's not even something that you can counter," Boozar-Jomehri said. "It's ridiculous."
With its location on the bluff, the property is considered by most city leaders as the linchpin in their plan to remake the struggling downtown. They have agreed to sell City Hall next door if the right deal comes along.
The proposal by Boozar-Jomehri's group fit the city's wish list, and news of its collapse sparked surprise and some regret Thursday.
"I'm disappointed that they're not seriously considering offers in that neighborhood," Mayor Brian Aungst said. "I think it's more than a fair offer."
Said Ed Armstrong, a Clearwater lawyer who specializes in zoning and land use issues: "I don't know that any of my clients would be interested in paying more."
The original offer was not contingent upon the sale of the City Hall property and included a $3-million, nonrefundable down payment.
This week, in addition to the extra $3-million, the church proposed keeping a half-million dollars in materials, such as kitchen equipment, to use in its new home planned at McMullen-Booth Road and Drew Street.
Church negotiators also wanted to keep the stained glass windows from the church's historic sanctuary, according to Boozar-Jomehri.
Floyd Miller, chairman of the deacon body at Calvary, declined to discuss specifics of the negotiations. He said he was not aware talks had stalled.
"That's news to me," Miller said. "My understanding and expectation is that we are going to hear back from him."
In the meantime, he said, the church is getting strong response from a national marketing campaign launched recently by its real estate broker, Trammel Crow.
"I'm confident the property is going to sell when it needs to sell and for how much it needs to sell," Miller said.
Others say the church needs to drop its price.
Aungst said no serious developer would pay $17.9-million for the Calvary Baptist property alone. He said he didn't blame Boozar-Jomehri's group for walking away.
"We'd have to probably sell City Hall for five bucks to make something work at that price," he said. "We're not going to do that any time soon."
City Commissioner Frank Hibbard, a member of Calvary Baptist, acted as a middleman of sorts to help bring the investors and church officials together. On Thursday he said he hopes a better deal comes along.
"I'm sure the leadership of Calvary, in their infinite wisdom, are doing what they believe is in the church's best interest," he said. "I hope they get a better offer. That would be incredible. God bless them."
Lee Arnold, a Clearwater developer and real estate broker, predicted a deal will eventually get done.
"Eventually the asking price will meet the bid," he said. "Sooner or later something will happen."
Boozar-Jomehri, who owns Pilot Construction in Safety Harbor, is the husband of Mahshid Arasteh, the city's public works administrator.
The Calvary Baptist property includes a four-story building south of City Hall, which is used by the church for Sunday school and Calvary Christian High School. Together with the city property, the waterfront parcels comprise 3.2 acres.
