The city of Clanton is purchasing a shopping center, part of which could be used to relieve the city’s police department from overcrowded municipal court sessions.

The shopping center is located off Third Avenue North and houses Fred’s, Farmers Home Furniture and other stores.

Mayor Billy Joe Driver said the center, parking lot and an adjoining building were purchased for about $650,000.

The center’s seller, Stephens Enterprises based in Irondale, had sought more than $1 million for the property at one point, Driver said.

The center encompasses a total of about 65,000 square feet and sits on about five acres of land.

Clanton’s City Council unanimously gave Driver permission to pursue the purchase at its July 22 meeting. The property was attractive to the city because of the available spaces and parking, and because the city already owns land surrounding the property, which is adjacent to Clanton City Park.

There are three vacant spaces at the center, including the adjoining building.

Driver said potential uses for the spaces include a new municipal court location. Court is currently held at the Clanton Police Department. Driver said the courtroom has become inadequate for the city’s case load.

“It’s awful down here on Tuesday nights, with people all out in the street,” he said.

Chilton County Senior Connection has also lobbied the city for a new meeting place. The group has been meeting at the Clanton Recreation Center since its former home, Chilton Medical Center, closed, but neither Senior Connection nor the city consider the Recreation Center a permanent location.

The council would have to approve any decision made about the use of space at the shopping center.

Driver said the city plans to honor current leases held by the center’s tenants. The city should see some income from renting the space (about $100,000 a year, Driver said), but there will also be expense involved with maintenance.

For starters, the parking lot needs resurfacing and lights in the lot need to be replaced, Driver said.

“We’re going to have to spend some money on it,” Driver said.