Plans for the Coatesville RDA to sell the Lincoln Center at 101 E. Lincoln Highway hit a snag last week when it learned the property may already be under agreement of sale to Don Pulver who has said he wants to build a high-rise office building on the property.

The possible sale of the Lincoln Center was first mentioned by City Manager Harry Walker as part of city manager's report at the Nov. 12 council. The sale again surfaced at the city's RDA meeting Nov. 19. The property is owned by the RDA which paid a reported $414,000 for the one-story building. The RDA used part of its $7 million line of credit to purchase an existing agreement from Pulver in 2004.

But, RDA Solicitor Pat O'Donnell had the Lincoln Center property pulled from last Monday night's RDA agenda. "Mr. Pulver believes he had an on-going right to develop that property," said O'Donnell. "We are in discussion and it will be resolved by next month's meeting."

Khader Mohammed is interested in buying not only the Lincoln Center property by the RDA-owned lot adjacent the Cultural Society. At the last council meeting, Walker said Mohammed was interested in maintaining the Lincoln Center will the right to develop it later. Reportedly, Mohammed has presented no official plans to the RDA for the 129-133 E. Lincoln Highway properties, now an empty lot adjacent the Cultural Society.

Pulver's believed agreement of sale stems from a 2004 deal struck between him and the RDA. At that time former City Manager Paul Janssen said the RDA was assuming the agreement of sale for the property from Pulver for $395,000. He said once the one-story building is demolished and the lot made suitable for construction, the property would be sold back to Pulver. He said demolition and site improvements would be funded through state and federal grants.

Pulver is now preparing to break ground in April for a four-story office building along Route 340 behind the present Turkey Hill and a four-story Marriott Hotel on the west side of Route 82 just south of the Route 30 Bypass interchange.

In 2004, Pulver was saying he planned to build 12, high-rise office buildings along the stretch of the city that extends from East Lincoln Highway and Route 82 to Route 340.

The RDA purchased the property at 129-133 to make room for a multi-level building proposed by T. R. White who was then a preferred developer of the site. The old Samuel's Building was demolished in 2005 by the RDA at a cost of $69,900. The RDA purchased the site from the Coatesville Cultural Society for $108,000. Once the building were demolished, T. R. White was to purchase the property. However, the West Chester builder pulled out after failing to acquire the Tarlecky site now owned by Iacobucci Homes.