Realtor Picked to Peddle City Properties

Keller-Williams was awarded a contract by the City Council on Tuesday to help East Providence sell or lease eight vacant properties or parcels.

The real estate company submitted the highest-priced proposal to peddle the surplus municipal properties, Planning Director Jeanne Boyle told the City Council.

But the firm has the most experience selling commercial properties, she said.

"It also submitted the best marketing plan," Boyle said.

Those factors among others made the firm the most qualified realtor among those realtors that responded to an RFP to market the properties.

There were lower bidders. But if a lower bidder without their commercial experience can't sell the properties, said City Manager Peter Graczykowski, the city gets nothing.

Two representatives of the firm's commercial branch actually agreed to drop their commission fee to 5 percent at the City Council meeting if they were given the contract to market all of the properties. The City Council agreed to a contract with Keller-Williams with that agreement.

Because the councilors negotiated a lower fee in public, however, Graczykowski said, he has asked Solicitor Timothy Chapman to give him a legal opinion on the agreement before he finalizes a contract.

"I just want to make sure we're on safe ground with the procurement process," Graczykowski said.

No other realtors attended the meeting, so no one else had an opportunity to negotiate at the meeting with the City Council.

The properties being put up for sale include the former branch library in Kent Heights, two former school administration buildings, and the former Union Primary School on Pawtucket Avenue – a building with historic significance.

Here are the eight properties:

• 1320 Pawtucket Avenue, former Union Primary School
• South Broadway, vacant parcel of former Tristam Burgess School
• 260 Dover Avenue, former Fuller Library
• 80 Burnside Avenue, former school administration building
• 33 Hoppin Avenue, former school administration building
• Harding Avenue, two adjacent vacant parcels
• Bentley Street, vacant parce
• 35 Bentley Street, parcel

Deed restrictions must be placed on the exterior of the Union School building and the room in the building that served as the 1873 one-room schoolhouse before it is sold.

The vacant lot at Bentley Street is contaminated, according to site investigation reports and assessments.

Keller-Williams must provide the following services under the contract:

• Develop strategies and market analysis for the sale of the properties;
• Negotiate with buyers on behalf of the city
• Coordinate real estate appraisals
• Handled activities and services normally associated with transactions and closings;
• Consult with city staff relative to sales;
• Provide regular status updates;
• Make presentations at public meetings if required.

The contract period will be for six months; it could be renewed for six more months.