Ledyard — The town is in discussions to sell the Gales Ferry Landing, a former elementary school that was transformed into a business incubator, to a Southington-based company.

The potential buyer, Florian Properties LLC, was one of two companies that made offers to buy the property, located at 7 Hurlbutt Road. Florian Properties is a commercial real estate firm that offers management, maintenance and leasing services.

Town councilors voted unanimously to authorize Mayor Fred Allyn III to sign a purchase and sale agreement for the property after an executive session June 14. Several Town Council subcommittees previously had recommended the sale of the property earlier this year, citing the high cost of maintaining the building.

The price offered by Florian has not yet been disclosed, though the sale of the property would have to be approved by the residents of Ledyard at a town meeting. The 20,000-square-foot building and 3.3 acres of land it sits on are valued at $582,260.

Allyn, who has made divesting the town of extraneous properties his priority as mayor, said the company is in the process of reviewing leases, surveys and other information about the property before it decides whether to go ahead and purchase the building.

Florian Properties' plan for the building, according to Allyn, is to make "major exterior improvements" to the property, including a much-needed new roof and a rooftop solar array, as well as parking lot and building access improvements.

The company has renovated former school buildings in the past, including the former Prospect Street School in Naugatuck that also was transformed into a small business center.

Florian Properties is owned by Michelle and Mat Florian. Mat Florian is the president. A representative of the company was unavailable for comment.

Currently, the building houses eight tenants: Southeastern Connecticut Regional Resource Recovery Association, Pure Fitness, 30 Marketing, Bishop Seabury Anglican Church, Art in the Village, All About You Massage, Cycle Shed Stores and Kindermusik. Each business has a month-to-month lease with the town. When businesses began leasing space in the property, each got a three-year, below-market lease meant to help with their bottom line as they grew.

As part of the sale, the town recently introduced a special permit application for the property which would cover each of the existing uses on the property, including an artist studio, personal services such as therapeutic massage, retail sales, religious use and office space.

The permit application will "tie up loose ends," said Town Planner Charles Karno, because while the town advised the Planning and Zoning Commission that the landing property was going to become a business incubator in 2013, it never formally received a special permit.

A public hearing on the subject, opened on July 13, has been continued to the next meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission, a special meeting scheduled for July 27.

n.lynch@theday.com