01/21/2014
It looks as if the Rutherford County Commission could be buying The Daily News Journal property at the corner of North Walnut and East Lytle streets.
The county's Property Management Committee is set to consider a judicial center parking garage purchase agreement during its Thursday meeting at 5:30 p.m.
Mayor Ernest Burgess will bring a letter of intent with a property owner and recommend purchasing the property. But Burgess said today he signed a confidentiality agreement and he refused to disclose the land owner or location.
"It's in an area that would be conducive to serving the needs of that judicial building," Burgess said.
Rutherford County purchased the block bounded by North Maple, East Lytle, East Burton and North Church streets more than eight years ago for construction of a judicial complex. It sits diagonally from the News Journal property.
Since that purchase, the estimated cost of the judicial complex has ballooned to $70 million. County leaders also believe a parking garage needs to be built separately from the judicial building.
The Daily News Journal recently announced it is selling the property where it's been located for decades and planning to lease a smaller location in downtown Murfreesboro.
