Columbus Council considers new use at ex-farmers market. Restrictions complicate proposal
The Columbus Consolidated Government acquired the former Georgia State Farmers Market property in 2018, and now the Columbus Council is considering whether soccer fields could replace it.
Demolition began last year on the 14.67-acre property at 318 10th Ave. Ahead of the Dec. 17 meeting, Councilor Joanne Cogle of District 7 asked for a resolution to enter an agreement with the Columbus Futbol Club to allow them to use the land for soccer fields.
“The intention here is to create three soccer fields in the footprint of the old farmers market,” Cogle said during the meeting.
The Woodruff Farm Soccer Complex is exploding in popularity with a waiting list of more than 200 players and overused fields, she said.
Using the former farmers market for soccer could help alleviate some of the growing pains of the Woodruff Farm Soccer Complex complex, Cogle said.
However, restrictions designed to ensure the former farmers market is used for a public purpose could conflict with a potential agreement with the Columbus Futbol Club and could result in the city being required to reimburse federal funding.
Demolition and restrictions
Clean-up and demolition of the property is expected to total about $1.6 million, Deputy City Manager Pam Hodge told the Columbus Council at the Dec. 17 meeting. Much of the funding for this project comes in a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Community Development Block Grants.
Ten structures were located on the property when the city acquired it, Hodge said, and hazardous materials were on the site.
The city received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for cleanup comprising removal of asbestos-contaminated material and petroleum-contaminated soil.
When the city acquired the property, it came with deed restrictions from the state requiring that it be for public use. If it ceases to be for public use, the deed will revert to the State of Georgia.
Using CDBG funding also restricts how the property could be used, Hodge said. Funding used from CDBG is to benefit moderate-income areas and citizens, she said.
“If we do not meet the requirements of CDBG, we would be in jeopardy of having to reimburse (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) for any fund expended through CDBG,” Hodge said.
Columbus Futbol League could create a conflict
HUD also prohibits activities that would provide “assistance to a professional sports team,” she said.
City staff had questions that needed to be answered before determining whether the Columbus Futbol Club could potentially use the property, Hodge said. These included determining the public use, negotiating the lease and how it would benefit low and moderate-income citizens.
There are two things about the census tract for this property that people should know, said Community Reinvestment Department Director Rob Scott. About 92% of the people who live in the area are considered to be under 80% of the area median income, he said.
The former farmers market also is in the middle of a food desert, Scott said.
Because the Columbus Futbol League is “pay for play”, he said, they would have to determine how the field could considered for public use if this soccer league uses it.
“It really has to have a public benefit that meets one of the national objectives of CDBG funding,” he said.
If the city moves forward with building a complex for the Columbus Futbol Club that doesn’t align with those objectives, he said, then the city would have to repay at least $550,000 in CDBG funding it received for the demolition. Potentially more money may have to be refunded depending on the terms of the EPA grant, Scott said.
Repaying funds to HUD can be tricky, he said, because the jurisdiction could face more scrutiny when trying to secure future funding.
The Columbus Futbol Club is not a professional organization, Cogle said at the meeting, and it isn’t a professional team.
“A lot of their athletes who are involved are on scholarships,” she said. “This allows them to provide a lot of opportunities for the lower income area.”
This would fit well with the work Scott does in the Community Reinvestment Department, Cogle said.
Ultimately, more conversations between the city and the Columbus Futbol Club will have to happen before anything is decided, officials said.
Scott said he hopes, throughout the process of determining what’s next for this site, the public will have a chance to provide input.
City Manager Isaiah Hugley agreed to look into the questions about whether this use aligns with CDBG objectives before the Jan. 7 council meeting.
