Mayor Nutter and other city officials sat down with LGBT leaders this week to discuss his administration’s plan to sell publicly owned land to a local Boy Scouts of America council — but no meeting of the minds appears to have taken place.
The BSA Cradle of Liberty Council wants to purchase 231-251 N. 22nd St. from the city for $500,000, to settle a civil-rights lawsuit in federal court.
LGBT advocates say the building is worth much more than $500,000, and the city shouldn’t use public tax dollars to enable an organization to discriminate on public property.
At the March 9 meeting, Nutter reiterated his position that an agreement has been reached between the city and the Scouts that cannot be breached.
But City Solicitor Shelley R. Smith, who also attended the meeting, has acknowledged that City Council approval is required before any public property can be sold.
Mel Heifetz, a businessman and philanthropist, told Nutter he would pay $1 million for the property and turn it over to a nonprofit that doesn’t discriminate. Heifetz also agreed to pay the city’s legal fees to end the federal litigation.
After the meeting, Heifetz said he’s willing to sue to have an opportunity to purchase the building.
Gloria Casarez, the city’s director of LGBT affairs, said the meeting was a valuable step in communicating concerns about the proposal to city officials.
“It was an important conversation,” she said.
Nutter spokesperson Mark McDonald said: “There was a frank exchange of ideas; people were cordial. But there’s nothing new in the mayor’s position [about the proposal].”
City officials have been involved in lengthy eviction proceedings against the Scouts, because they won’t permit gay participants, nor will they pay fair-market rent.
In June 2010, after an eight-day federal trial, a jury ruled the city violated the Scouts’ constitutional rights when citing their antigay policy as a reason for eviction.
As the prevailing party, the Scouts are seeking almost $1 million in legal fees from the city, which the Scouts say they’ll forgive if the deal is consummated.
Tim Cwiek can be reached at [email protected].