Seeking to avoid a court hassle on a potential eminent domain issue, Leesburg commissioners have approved a deal with Edwin Young, owner of the 42-year-old, 41,000-sf ATC-Diversified Electronics Co. structure at 103 Magnolia St. that will pay the property owner $246,000 or $6 per sf for his building.

The price is $76,000 over the appraised figure of $170,000 or $3.90 per sf. The deal closes Oct. 10.

Area real estate lawyers tell GlobeSt.com on condition of anonymity the city had planned to condemn the Downtown location and seize the property under the state's eminent domain law. But city officials rejected that idea after learning court costs and lawyers' fees to fight the seizure would probably exceed the $246,000 purchase price, area lawyers tell GlobeSt.com.