SENECA — The city of Seneca is planning on repaving a parking lot on W.N. First Street behind Ram Cat Alley as part of the city’s phased revitalization plan for the downtown area.

The property, which sits just north of Ram Cat Alley, was purchased more than a year ago by the City from Mayor Dan Alexander for $25,000, city Administrator Greg Dietterick said.

“It’s part of our downtown revitalization plan,” he said. “In the plan, we drew a walkway through a small park, which will attach to the lot behind the City Pool Room.”

The park area and adjacent parking is the latest example of the phased approach Seneca has taken toward the downtown area, as repaving the sidewalks of Ram Cat Alley and renovating the Norton-Thompson Park while fitting it for CAT Bus operation were also steps that have been taken.

“It is a continuous phasing,” Alexander has said of the plan. “We’re not doing anything we can’t pay for, so it’s been a little bit at a time, whenever we can.”

Dietterick said the $25,000 the city paid for the property is well below what it had been appraised for last year, and that Alexander abstained from taking any part in motions or voting towards the acquisition.

“It has to go out to bid, so what we’ll do is put it out to bid and bring the bids back to council later,” Dietterick said, adding that it could take until December to have all the bids returned to City Council for a proposal.

andrew@dailyjm.com (864) 882-2375