H & F Development Partners, of Fort Dodge, has proposed demolishing the Trolley Center at the corner of Ninth Street and Central Avenue. In its place, the developer would build a four-story building with three commercial spaces on the first floor and 36 apartments on the upper three floors.

The Trolley Center has been vacant for a few years, and it was owned by a series of out-of-state firms before the city government went to court and used the state’s abandoned building’s law to acquire it.

On Monday, the City Council endorsed the developer’s application for workforce housing tax credits from the Iowa Economic Development Authority. If received, those tax credits would help to finance the project.

The council also approved a purchase, sale and development agreement with H & F Development Partners. Despite the title of the agreement, nothing was actually sold last night. The agreement declares the city’s intention to work with the developer.

The council approved both measures with no discussion.

Councilman Cameron Nelson was absent from the otherwise unanimous vote.