Quincy's Community Redevelopment Agency is preparing to pull its $140,000 offer for the long-neglected Tannery and Cowhide Building and could instead pursue an emergency demolition order, as officials say the property owner has failed to move forward with repairs or removal despite months of effort by the city. The deteriorating structure, according to Quincy officials, now poses a threat to the public.
According to WTWC Fox 49, the CRA has tried for some time to get the Tannery repaired or demolished, but property owner Mr. Patel has not moved forward with either option. The station reports that attempts to reach Mr. Patel for comment were unsuccessful. Quincy officials cite public safety concerns and a lack of progress from the property owner as reasons for weighing more forceful action, and one CRA board member said the building could fall because it is in such bad shape.
A $140,000 Offer on the Table — For Now
The CRA's offer of $140,000 for the property represents a small fraction of the agency's overall finances. Per the agency's own budget documents, the Quincy Community Redevelopment Agency's fiscal year 2024–2025 operating budget totaled roughly $2.06 million, funded largely through tax increment financing from Gadsden County and the City of Quincy. Board members may take back that offer if the impasse with Patel continues, per the same report from the local station, leaving the city to weigh funding questions and any potential agreement with the property owner going forward.
If negotiations collapse, the city can seek a court order for emergency demolition. Florida law gives municipalities that option: under Florida Statutes Section 823.05 and Section 60.05, local governments may ask a court to declare an unsafe or abandoned structure a public nuisance and order emergency abatement or demolition, according to the Florida Legislature. Legal opinions from the Florida Attorney General's Office affirm that municipalities hold broad home rule powers under Article VIII of the state constitution to require repair or demolition of dangerous buildings.
Why the City Can't Just Seize the Property
Florida's Community Redevelopment Act, under Chapter 163, allows local agencies like Quincy's CRA to acquire, rehabilitate, or transfer blighted properties. But state statutory changes in 2006 sharply restricted the use of eminent domain for private redevelopment, according to the Florida Senate. That overhaul is a key reason the CRA has relied on a voluntary purchase offer rather than forcing a sale, and why an emergency public-safety court order remains the fallback option rather than a routine taking.
City officials say the choice ultimately boils down to two paths: demolishing the crumbling buildings or restoring them. That tension is sharpened by Quincy's status as a recognized historic community. The Quincy Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in November 1978, encompassing 36 downtown blocks and more than 140 historic structures, according to the National Park Service. That designation helps explain why some residents are pushing back against tearing the Tannery down.
Preservationists Push for Restoration
Lindsey Anderson, a local resident, said the buildings should be redone rather than removed, according to WTWC Fox 49's report. The sentiment reflects a broader local instinct to save Quincy's historic commercial core, much of which survived thanks to early 20th-century wealth tied to Coca-Cola stock investments championed by local banker M.W. Munroe, per Explore Northwest Florida. The Tannery itself traces back further still, with industrial leather tanning in Gadsden County dating to 19th-century agricultural operations that also supported brick kilns and early cotton processing.
An environmental investigation into the Tannery and Cowhide Building site had already been underway as of March, according to a CRA update, as the agency worked to determine appropriate next steps for redevelopment regardless of whether the structure is ultimately saved or torn down. The station's report also notes that the aging, neglected Quincy School is another property in need of work, suggesting the Tannery is not the only structure testing the city's redevelopment priorities.
Agency Faces Its Own Scrutiny
The CRA's handling of the Tannery matter comes as the agency itself has faced outside scrutiny. In July 2025, the Quincy Community Redevelopment Agency was placed under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney's Office regarding financial management and fund oversight, according to WTXL ABC 27. That scrutiny adds weight to how the agency's board handles public expenditures tied to the Tannery, including any decision on the $140,000 offer.
The Quincy CRA was established on December 8, 1998, under City Ordinances 896 and 982, with a redevelopment boundary running along U.S. Highway 90 between Ralph Strong Road and Atlanta Street, according to the agency's own records. The Quincy CRA Advisory Board is scheduled to meet Thursday, September 10, at 6 p.m. in the Quincy City Hall chambers, where the fate of the Tannery offer and the possibility of an emergency demolition order are expected to be discussed further.
