(Le Mars) — The city of Le Mars has agreed to abandon its plans to make the former Chemical Sanitary Services building located on Hawkeye Avenue southwest, or Business Highway 75 as its new police headquarters. That’s because Scott Taylor, owner of Total Sales and Service and Total Motors has extended an offer to purchase the former building from the city. The city and Taylor agreed upon a price of $500,000. The Le Mars City Council approved the transaction during its regular monthly meeting held on Tuesday. In addition, the city will now acquire the former Motor Inn building and will look at the feasibility of converting the once auto sales garage to become the new Le Mars Police headquarters. Mayor Dick Kirchoff explains how the three-way real estate transaction came about.
Kirchoff says Total Motors is compensating the city for the architecture fees and the preliminary work that has been started on the former C-S-S building.
Kirchoff says the city then turned around and purchased the former Motor Inn building.
Mayor Kirchoff says one of the reasons the city was in favor of the proposed business transaction is because the former Motor Inn building offers more space than the C-S-S building. He says the city will collect $9500 a month from Total Motors in a lease agreement, and it is a good economic development plan as Total Motors will build a new facility and the city will again have an auto dealer able to sell new Chevrolet vehicles.