BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG -- Mystic Springs developer Nick Wright is raising questions about the sale of 17 Main Street parcel B, which is entangled in a two-year-old deal that has yet to be acted on.

Nick Wright has been working with the city in an attempt to buy 17 Main Street in order to develop a miniature golf and family fun center on vacant property currently owned by the city.

The property was split into two parcels as part of an RFP process which was approved two years ago, but only partially executed after it was accepted.

A messy endeavor

Under the deal, parcel A was sold to William Hosmer who has had plans to build a brewery, while the second parcel was set to be sold to At the Docks LLC.

Hosmer was required to submit a plan and meet various timelines.

Hosmer followed through on his end of the bargain by purchasing parcel A at a cost of $10,000. He later found an alternate location to build his brewery and sold the property back to the city.

Meanwhile parcel B still remains unsold.

At the Docks never followed through with the property purchase which has left the property in limbo and off the tax rolls for the past two years.

Interim city Manager Andrea Smith said that part of the issue was that the city did not reach out to Chris Frary, owner of At the Docks, to move things forward.

At the time the city had a different city manager and council and the property sale and development plan appears to have slipped through the cracks.

The city’s failure to hold At the Docks to the same standard as Hosmer is raising questions for developer Nick Wright who believes both parcels should be put back out for requests for proposals.

The city accepted proposals for parcel A, but did not do the same with parcel B, which is still slated to go to At the Docks. Wright is submitting a proposal for parcel A but says his project also needs parcel B.

A new RFP?

Wright said that he believes the city would still be within its rights to seek new proposals for the property and says he has a plan that would include swift development.

He recently submitted a letter to the city regarding the matter.

"I wanted to touch base with you and remind you that we are indeed still in need of 17 Main St. Part B. As we work through the Project proposal for the Part A RFP it is apparent that we still very much need part B that has been owned by the city for the past several years and off the tax rolls," he wrote.

"While I realize there were missteps in the way the prior RFP process was handled, there has yet to be clear documentation presented at public meetings or to my attorney regarding a written agreement with At The Docks, LLC. Given the RFP was awarded to ATD, LLC almost 2 years ago but was never purchased by them, it is still our position that the land should be put back out for a new RFP process similar to Part A. Is anyone on this city council willing to come forward and take a public stand on this biased issue?"

Wright said that if the city will not accept a new RFP for parcel B, they should consider tighter deadlines than they are currently proposing.

Honoring the the deal

Interim City Manager Andrea Smith and Mayor Michael Tooley said they have been in contact with representatives from At the Docks LLC to move things forward.

Smith said the city is asking the company to meet the standards originally offered to Hosmer. She said the goal is to ensure At the Docks are able to act on the 2022 proposal which has not yet expired.

This would give At the Docks LLC until the end of May to submit plans and finalize the sale.

T00ley said he responded to Wright’s letter to update him on the situation. 

Tooley said that because the original proposal submitted by Hosmer included At the Docks  and was still active, despite Hosmer’s decision to withdraw, council felt the city needed to reach out to Frary’s to see if they still wanted to proceed.

Tooley said the Frary’s were still interested in moving forward with their proposal, which included building a dock storage facility on the property.

Tooley said the response triggered the city to give At the Docks 90 days to submit a proposal and until May 31 to finalize the sale. 

He said that information has been shared with Wright.

Opposing view

But Wright says he believes a tighter deadline should be followed given that two years have already passed and there has been no sign of development.

"In the very least we are requesting you to consider a much tighter deadline for the other developer to follow through on the purchase of the land. Why is the city of Ogdensburg holding vacant land for a developer for over 2 years? I offered $10,000 on the piece back in December of 2023 with no response as of today 2/12/24. We very much need the property to make this project a true reality at the level we would like to see it at. We do not want this to be a half-baked project," he wrote. "Our project will have significant economic and tourism impacts to the City of Ogdensburg and greater regional areas. Much more than a proposed warehouse in the prime real estate of Ogdensburg. Please tighten the timelines on deadlines and consider my $10,000 offer for Part B," he wrote.

Wright says he wants the city and the council to help him move forward with his shovel ready project.

"Mystic Springs is a fully funded and shovel ready project. It is up to the City and politicians to make it a priority," his letter concluded.

Although council met Feb. 12 after the email was submitted to council there was no discussion on the matter at the meeting.