By MELISSA PEACOCK

EDGARD – Negotiations for the purchase of Thunderbolt properties in Edgard were recently postponed again after an incomplete parish-ordered appraisal was submitted. The appraisal of the property included only one of two tracts of land St. John the Baptist Parish is considering for a West Bank community enhancement and development center.

Parish Councilman Lester Rainey said the incomplete appraisal could hurt negotiations by making the property value much lower than the market price. If that happens the parish government will be less inclined to purchase the property for the center.

The property with the old bar building was valued at $60,000. Property owners are asking $95,000 for both pieces of land.

Last week, the council voted to have the second part of the property evaluated.

“It took a month and a half for the first tract,” Rainey said. “I hope it doesn’t take that long (for the second piece).”

The plan to buy and restore the old nightclub has come under attack from some parish officials and the public since its conception. With two other community facilities planned for the West Bank, critics have voiced concerns whether a third center is necessary and they are even less certain an old bar is an appropriate site for the facility.

“I’m not sure what the bickering is about,” said Newton Muhammad, attorney for the property owner. “It sits in an ideal location for what Councilman Rainey is talking about (because of its proximity to the library and pool facilities). It would be their loss to have someone else purchase the property – and a loss to the children.”

Proponents of the plan believe the old bar/grocery facility can be restored to operable conditions and used as the community recreation and education center. The building is divided into two primary spaces: the old downstairs business and an upstairs apartment complete with three bedrooms, a den, a living room and a kitchen.

If the council approves the purchase and restoration of the property, the downstairs area would be converted into a divided recreation center for local youth (ages 5 to 18). Boys and girls would each have their own recreation rooms on the ground floor.

The upstairs apartment would be converted into a computer lab complete with computer technology to train residents for the work place. An $18 million bond issue would fund the purchase and restoration. The lab would make the center eligible for federal “20th Century Learning Community” grants.

“It’s a win, win situation,” Rainey said. “You remove a piece of blighted property and you make it useable for the community.”