During a special-called City Council meeting in Orange Beach on Friday, the elected officials voted to purchase the 27,000-square-foot Wharf Conference Center for $1.6 million dollars from Solution Capital Investments, Inc.

During the past several months, city officials have been looking into the possibility of purchasing the building with hopes of using the facility as a civic center.

Included in the purchase, is a built-in two-month lease to Student Life ministries. The Birmingham based Christian organization utilizes the building during the months of June and July for student conferences.

During the past two weeks, the city has held two open house opportunities, allowing the public to tour the facility and give their input. According to City Administrator Ken Grimes, only two of the comment cards submitted by the public were in opposition of purchasing the building.

Despite overwhelming support in favor of the purchase from the public, as well as recommendations from Linda Whitlock, CEO of the Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, and Herb Malone, who heads up the Convention and Visitors Bureau, councilman Brett Holk and councilwoman Pattisue Carranza, both voted against the purchase.

“I do have some issues,” Holk told council members. “I think the private sector could run it and bring in the same business and we could collect the sales tax off of it versus the government running it. It could be possible that it makes money, but then it may not. So to me, with the way the city is with our $40 million dollar debt right now, and a $23.5 million dollar loan that we are paying interest only on, there are just a lot of issues.”

Holk went on to say that he hoped, if the council voted to purchase the building, that indeed it would bring in much needed revenue, but he remained skeptical.

“At this time we have a lot of other issue on taxes, increases on fees, we had the people vote, and they voted down a two-mil property tax on themselves. They want everybody to live within their means like they are having to do. So at this time I just do not see that this is the best thing for the city, but that is just my opinion.”

City finance committee chairman Al Bradley said that operating expenses for the year would run close to $180,000, and said that numerous businesses and organizations, such as Columbia Southern University, had already approached the city about using the facility.