Photo by Jody Isaackson Police Chief Jason Lichty, pictured, told the Tracy City Council last week that the store building at 157 Third St. had been posted as hazardous and that it should be on the list of properties to be razed for such.

TRACY — Tracy’s Economic Development Authority Jeff Carpenter announced at the Aug. 27 council meeting that the EDA was offering a $5,000 reward to anyone referring a new business owner to the city for development of a new business in town.

“The new businesses have to meet reward criteria and be approved by the Tracy EDA Board,” Carpenter said as he distributed reward posters.

The criteria include establishing a new taxed-base business within city limits and can be done through new construction or refurbishing an empty building.

In conjunction with the reward, the city of Tracy has space in Broadacres area for development.

“The EDA owns the whole block,” Carpenter said. “We’re working with prospective developers and a couple of contractors on it and have started a list of other names.”

Carpenter said he anticipates slab on grade (no basement) town homes or single-family homes to be built on these lots.

“I’m not picky, though,” he said. “I just know they will be very nice.”

The lots will be anywhere from 1300 square feet to 1900 square feet, Carpenter said.

In addition to the Broadacres offering, the Tracy City Council voted unanimously Monday night to raze the building on five public properties. The properties as presented by Police Chief Jason Lichty include the following locations: 113 E. Morgan St., 124 Elm St., 249 Union St., 349 6th St. and 157 3rd St.

These buildings were classified as hazardous and the owners were notified of the situation. The notices included a 30-day time period for the owners to bring their property up to code or the city would raze the buildings and fill in the foundations.

“If the city must take actions to enforce this order,” the letters read, “all enforcement costs will either be specially assessed against the property and collected in accordance with Minnesota Statutes or a judgment will be obtained against the owners and lien holders for all costs incurred by the city to enforce this order.”

Lichty also told the council that he had put signs on the old Enderson store, the 157 3rd St. address, that told people not to enter. The floor was weak and could fall into the basement, he said.

“First National Acceptance Company (FNAC) from East Lansing, Michigan, still had their name on the building,” Carpenter said, but they were able to prove they had sold it. They kept saying, ‘We don’t own it.’ But because they had neglected to transfer the title, they were responsible.”

When Tracy City Administrator Kris Ambuehl contacted FNAC in July, FNAC was able to provide a copy of their Quit Claim Deeds showing a third party was now the owner of the property and had been for almost two years.

Ambuehl indicated that the city is working to contact the new owner.

An easement agreement between the city of Tracy and Rosemary Martin allows for a perpetual easement on the unimproved portion of her new apartment building at 324 S. St. to be used as an alleyway. The city shall be responsible for all costs and expenses to maintain the property subject to the easement. Martin would not be responsible for any obligation regarding the alleyway.