By Benjamin Garcia
Twitter: @AzNewsmedia

Tempe City Council has approved the third amendment to an agreement with Singh Organic Soils LLC in hopes to develop and operate an agricultural facility as an “Urban Garden.”

The City Council selected the Singh Organic Soils urban garden proposal through a request for proposal and approved the agreement that will allow the acceptable uses of gardens, farmers markets, and arboretums in 2014, according to the Feb. 11 city staff report.

The property is owned by The Flood Control District of Maricopa County. The land is 72 acres and is a part of land identified as the Indian Bend Wash bounded by McKellips Road and Curry Road, the city staff report states.

The cost of maintaining the property is normally a municipal responsibility, however, in this case will be provided by Singh Organic Soils, city officials say.

The rent of the land will be divided up with the city of Tempe receiving 20% of the rent and the other 80% of the rent to be provided by Singh Organic Soils, tenets of the agreement state.

This project has been in the works for many years as the property used to be the Rio Salado Golf Course. However, in 2015 the lease expired. The City of Tempe then worked with the operator of the course (KemperSports) and Flood Control District of Maricopa County to terminate the lease and create a new use for the property.

The new amendment was signed by Mayor Corey Woods and approved by the council on Feb. 11 allowing for more to come out of the project managed by Singh Organic Soils.