Committee takes no position on Market House lease pending final negotiated agreement
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Summary
Committee members declined to recommend for or against the Market House lease, citing ongoing negotiations and the absence of a final lease text; members asked staff and the lessee to finish negotiations and return final language to committees and council.
The Rules and City Government Committee heard an extended discussion about the Market House lease (agenda items related to the Market House and associated lease amendment) but took no position because the parties were still negotiating the final lease language.
Council members and staff emphasized the Market House's recent operational turnaround and the need for a stable, longer-term agreement to support capital investments. Committee members repeatedly said they wanted to see the final negotiated lease before taking a formal position. "I could not in good conscience make any recommendation on a contract I haven't seen," one member said.
Representatives of the Market House operation told the committee they had provided a revised redline lease and had accepted most of the city's requested changes; they said the longer lease term would enable them to invest in bathroom upgrades and other capital improvements. The tenant side said they would commit to substantial capital work if they had longer tenure.
Because the lease negotiations remained in progress, the committee voted to take no position and noted the item would appear before the council after the finance/economic committees complete their reviews and negotiations were finalized.