State to surplus Columbus farmers market property, tenants vacating

Grab some popcorn and watch this one play out.

There is an interesting situation developing at 318 10^th Ave. in Columbus.

Where, you say?

You probably know it better as the old State Farmers Market, a place you once went for the freshest fruits and vegetables, most of them grown right here in this region.

For the last 10 years, it has been anything but a farmers market. It has been the home of local businessman Allen Woodall’s antique business. Everything from old cars to stained glass windows pulled out of an church building can be acquired on that site.

It’s kind of junky, but I am sure that is by design.

For the last decade, Woodall has had a nice deal with the state of Georgia. Under his agreement with the state Department of Agriculture, he operates his business, River Market Antiques, on the nearly 20-acre site and can lease the remainder of the property. In that deal, the state gets a small percentage of the rent Woodall generates and he keeps the remainder, according to Paul Thompson, who manages the farmers markets for the Department of Agriculture.

Woodall has been told he has to vacate by the end of June because his lease expired in January, Thompson said on Friday.

“Why not extend the lease until the property is sold?” Woodall asked. “Show it as an income producing property.”

Because as soon as Woodall and the other tenants vacate the property the Department of Agriculture will turn it over to the State Property Commission, where it will be declared surplus property.

“They will dispose of it — sell it, auction it, whatever they do with it,” Thompson said.

So, there is little doubt this is happening.

Woodall, a former radio station owner who is famous for his worldly collection antique lunch boxes showcased in the Lunchbox Museum on the site, is about to lose what many would consider a sweetheart deal.

The property is producing about $7,000 per month in rent, generating about $700 per month for the state, Woodall said. There are about 20 tenants, large and small, Woodall said. Columbus Towing and Recovery is one of the tenants. Others include much smaller vendors, Woodall said.

A lot of folks are probably wondering where they can sign up for that deal.

By comparison, Bi-City Produce also leases more than 8,500 square feet at the old farmers market for its wholesale business. That company, which has operated in that location for 34 years, is paying the state $2,850 a month in rent, co-owner David Bone said. The Bi-City Produce deal is separate from Woodall’s lease, Thompson said.

Asked if he was willing to change the terms to stay on the property, Woodall responded, “If needed we could renegotiate that.”

That is not happening, it looks like.

While Woodall is looking to relocate his business, Bi-City Produce owners are weighing a number of options. It is owned by brothers David and Phillip Bone, who are both in their mid-60s. The company employs eight people and provides produce, frozen goods and paper products to restaurants, schools and supermarkets.

Like Woodall, David Bone got a letter from the Department of Agriculture dated June 17, 2016. It instructed him to vacate the property and leave it clean by June of this year. The Bi-City options are to sell the business, relocate it or close it, David Bone said.

“We are not sure yet,” David Bone said.

But what he is sure of is the old place ain’t what it used to be. David Bone remembers decades ago when the farmers market was a happening place.

“Let’s face it, when we were growing up this place was booming,” he said recently. “Now, every grocery store and supermarket has fresh produce. And there are not near as many farmers out there any more.”

Hal Averett, past president of the Riverdale/Porterdale Cemetery Foundation, thinks he has a better idea. He was been trying to persuade the state to donate the property to the nonprofit organizations that support the historic city-owned cemeteries.

The old farmers market is situated adjacent to the cemeteries and would be an ideal piece to connect them, Averett said.

“We would like to get it, tear everything down but two pavilions and create a greenspace,” Averett said. “You could use it for events or even use the pavilions for funerals in inclement weather.”

The stumbling block has been that the state can’t donate the land to a nonprofit organization. The solution, as Averett sees it, is for the city to get the property from the state and own it.

“We will see what happens,” he said.

For sure. But one thing we do know is something is happening and will likely play out in the coming months.

This story was originally published March 3, 2017 at 5:22 PM with the headline "State to surplus Columbus farmers market property, tenants vacating."