Item: Maalouf Land Sale Now Final

According to the August 23 Huntsville Item, Maalouf Properties and the city of Huntsville have finalized the $650,000 agreement to sell 2.5 acres of land occupied by the former Military Reserve Building on Sam Houston Avenue:

The deal was supposed to close on Friday, but once the Huntsville City Council on Tuesday approved a subdivision plat that separated the property from Huntsville Fire Station No. 2 and approved a shared easement that allows access to Sam Houston Avenue for both properties, Tarek Maalouf was ready to make the transaction final as soon as possible.

Maalouf isn't the only buyer who wanted the property. Sam Houston State University has said it intends to purchase the property from Maalouf or acquire it through eminent domain.

The Texas State University System authorized SHSU to buy property through negotiation and purchase at its meeting last Friday at Sul Ross State University in Alpine. Since then, Maalouf said, there has been no attempt to contact him or his attorney Lanny Ray regarding a purchase.

TSUS administrators pulled consideration of eminent domain proceedings from its agenda last week because the land had not been split from the fire station.

Areas ranging from the Avenue I intersection to 22nd Street are highlighted in the university’s updated plan as long-term growth zones.

There is another larger section mapped out in SHSU's master plan for long-term use around the Town Creek corridor.