Columbiana leaders voted last week to allow Mayor Allan Lowe to sign a contract to buy the Summer Classics property.

The city council voted 4-1 to authorize the mayor to sign the contract for the five-acre site. The city and Shelby County will each pay half of the property&8217;s $525,000 price tag.

Councilmember Danny Kelley voted against buying the property. He has been quoted as saying he is not comfortable with the proposal because the lack of city council involvement.

The land, which was home to Summer Classics furniture manufacturing factory before it burned to the ground in 2004, is slated to become the new home for commercial and residential developments, as well as a permanent place for the Academy of Fine Arts of Shelby County. Besides the school, shops, and condominiums, the site could also potentially house a park or amphitheater and Columbiana&8217;s upstart farmer&8217;s market.

Lowe met earlier this year with architects from Gresham, Smith and Partners to discuss a possible layout for the property.

&8220;Our first priority is to the residential and commercial,&8221; Lowe said following the meeting. &8220;The residential would focus around multi-family developments.&8221;