MARQUETTE — The Marquette City Commission approved two property sales and extended a third at Monday night’s commission meeting.

The commission tackled purchase agreements for several parcels of land at the Heartwood Forest and Founders Landing sites, and finalized a sale of land near the Marquette Branch Prison to be purchased by the state of Michigan.

Veridea Group LLC is looking to purchase parcels 9-11 in the Heartwood Forest area to develop a manufacturing facility for medical devices. The parcels lie on the west side of M-553. Veridea secured parcel 12 on the east side of the highway near Division Street through a purchase completed in October 2018.

The city voted 7-0 to adopt the resolution of sale and approve the purchase and sales agreement, but not before questions were raised about Veridea’s reasoning for needing all four parcels.

“Originally we sold parcel 12 to the Veridea Group for the establishment of Frontier Labs, which was going to move from (former K.I. Sawyer Air Force) Base to Marquette,” said City Manager Mike Angeli. “When Veridea entered into that discussion with (J.M.) Longyear LLC, which owns Frontier Labs, the conversation drifted away from parcel 12 to parcels 9-11. They’re relocating that medical complex on parcels 9-11, and parcel 12 will be yet to be determined with what will be developed.”

The concern was also raised about whether the development will affect the nearby Noquemanon Trail Network trails and how many acres of trees will need to be cut.

“We’ll work with the NTN and we’ve actually worked with the NTN on some of our other properties that line their trails for the last 25 years,” said Steve Hicks, CEO of J.M. Longyear. “On how much is going to be removed, I think initially we’re putting up a 3,000-square-foot facility there with about 50 parking spaces upwards to 100 parking spaces to get to about 100,000 square feet or more of the facility. So the exact amount of acres I am not sure of, but we’re very conscious, obviously, of the ecosystem and the property itself.

“I assure you that it’ll be environmentally sensitive and very well done.”

The city will assume $370,000 from the sale along with subsequent tax revenue once the parcel is developed. The completion of the sale will be contingent on the commission approving the development agreement once it’s completed. The city has 60 days to close on the sale.

The city also approved Founders Landing Joint Venture LLC’s request for an extension of its purchase agreement and sale of real estate for parcel 2A by 75 days. Should the sale go through, the city will receive an additional $433,380. Previously, the city sold parcels 2B and 2C to the developer for $666,619. The motion passed 6-1.

Commissioners also completed the sale of 1.48 acres of property near the prison to be sold to the state of Michigan for development of an expanded prison warehouse. The motion passed 7-0 and the city will receive $8,800 from the sale.

In other business conducted at Monday’s meeting, the commission approved the city’s fiscal year 2021 budget; reappointed Carol Steinhaus to the Peter White Public Library Board of Trustees through May 1, 2025; amended Chapter 48 of the City Code to eliminate the need for additional public hearings on annual water, sewer and storm water rates; and approved a brownfield plan for Upper Peninsula State Bank’s new branch to be built at the former Burger King location along West Washington Street.