Decatur, GA — The Decatur Downtown Development Authority, at its April 12 meeting, authorized the executive director to sign a lease agreement to rent space at the Sycamore Building for the ambassador program.

The Sycamore Building is the former classroom building of Decatur First United Methodist Church.

The DDA approved the resolution with a 6-0 vote. DDA Attorney Kyle Williams and Board Member Darren Comer did not participate in the discussion, as Williams is one of the owners of Sycamore Chapel and Comer is the broker for the building.

Williams’ law firm, Williams Teusink, purchased the classroom building and chapel in 2020. The Chapel on Sycamore functions as an event space, and the Sycamore Building was renovated to be an office space that Williams Teusink leases to tenants.

“Kyle’s company is the landlord here, so Kyle will not play his typical role of reviewing the lease agreement for us,” DDA Chair Conor McNally said. “Darren’s company was involved in the leasing part of the transaction, which is why he’s recused himself from both the executive session and this conversation.”

McNally added that the DDA board members felt comfortable supporting the DDA executive director in negotiating the final points of the lease. Two of the board members are attorneys.

The DDA considered an initial proposal from Block by Block in December 2023. Creating a downtown ambassador program is in the city’s downtown master plan “to address cleanliness, safety issues, also to provide visitor services, and business outreach,” Planning and Economic Development Director Angela Threadgill previously said.

Block by Block will hire a team to be the ambassadors in Decatur, and the team could be in place toward the end of May.

“We now have signed contract with Block by Block and signed MOU with the tourism bureau as well as the city in the shared cost,” Threadgill said at the April 12 meeting. “The last component of the operations of the Block by Block agreement is finding an office space for their operations.”

Block by Block is in the process of hiring ambassadors and ordering equipment and vehicles. The company will need a space in Decatur for about five staff members. Block by Block was looking for a space between 100 and 400 square feet that’s accessible to the zones they’ll be working in.

The DDA was also looking for a flexible one-year lease with the right to extend the agreement.

“What I have found mostly is that most landlords in the office space are looking for a minimum of five-year agreements, so that shut the doors on a few spaces,” Threadgill said.

Threadgill added that leasing an office at the Sycamore Building was the best fit for both Block by Block’s spatial needs and the lease term. The office being considered is about 364 square feet, and the rent is $1,100 per month, for a total cost of $13,200 per year. The DDA will take on the cost of the lease.

“I think the rest of the board would agree that given that the term of the Block by Block [agreement] is just one year, the DDA will be leasing this space, we can’t put ourselves in a situation where we have a lease for more than one year because if Block by Block leaves after one year, then we’re paying a lease for two years on a space that we don’t need or use,” McNally said.

Threadgill added that neither the city nor DDA anticipates Block by Block will leave the city after one year. The lease agreement was set to begin on April 15.

The resolution also appropriated funds for the program from the DDA.

The city is working with Block By Block for the downtown ambassador program, and the agreement is for an amount not to exceed $496,000.

The DDA also approved a memorandum of understanding at its March 8 meeting between the DDA, the city, and the tourism bureau for the shared costs and the implementation of the ambassador program. The cost will be split between the DDA, the tourism bureau, and the city, with each entity paying about $165,205.

The DDA approved the MOU at its March 8 meeting. The tourism bureau board also approved the MOU, and the city commission approved it on March 18.

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