As of Wednesday, all but two businesses have been made offers for their property as part of downtown jail and justice center project, according to Yaggy Colby consultant Brad King, who said reactions to the figures have been “mixed.”

“There’s been mixed reception to the offers, which is the norm,” he said.

For those unhappy, next comes negotiations, which will ensue over the next 30 days. After that period, the city has the option of filing a petition to bring the matter to the courts, though King emphasized that independent agreements can still be sealed outside civil proceedings.

“That doesn’t stop negotiations,” he said. “We can continue to negotiate.”

Steve’s Pizza owner Steve Davis said he was not particularly pleased with his offer, though he’s ready to begin bargaining in hopes of reaching a fair compromise.

“The way it looks now, this project is going to cost me a substantial amount of money to relocate, which I am not happy about,” said Davis, who’s owned the Second Avenue Northeast pizzeria for decades. “But I want to negotiate in good faith so we can come to an equitable solution.”

Jeff and Laura Dewitz, owners of Showgirl’s Saloon on First Street Northeast, called their offer “low,” and are crunching numbers to determine how much it would cost them to build anew at the only location currently zoned for adult entertainment — an industrial site north of Interstate 90.

“My argument with the city would be if you only one site designated for adult entertainment, then give me the money to be able to build at that site,” Jeff Dewitz said.

He also argued that the downtown property they own now has features, such as its visible location, that make it hard to replicate anywhere in the city.

“We have some additions that makes this property much more valuable than the comparable property,” he said. “Our situation is unique.”

As required by law, the city must assess the cost of a comparable property for each of the business owners and make offers to reflect the price of the second property, if more expensive than the original.

In total, about 10 buildings will be acquired for the $32 million jail and justice center, which is slated for construction early next year on two square blocks spanning from Second to Fourth Avenue Northeast and Second to Third Street Northeast.

The city, aided by consultant Yaggy Colby of Rochester, has led acquisition, demolition and all other site preparation efforts, using more than $4 million in local and county funding.

The goal is to have all buildings acquired by Sept. 1, which community development director Craig Hoium previously said may or may not be met, with the site prepared for construction by the close of the year.

“There’s still time; we don’t have to rush to a decision,” King said. “But the clock is ticking in terms of when they are made.”

Plans are also moving forward in terms of relocation of dozens of residents living in a three-story apartment building on the corner of Second Avenue and Third Street Northeast. According to real estate specialist Penny Rolf, letters to residents will be distributed by hand or, if needed, by mail next week.

“We’re currently in the process of translating them,” she said, because of the tenants are Spanish-speaking.