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Developer Jordan Schnitzer was having lunch at a downtown Portland seafood restaurant weeks ago when he ran into Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith.

The conversation turned to the Wapato Jail, and Smith told Schnitzer a public use should be found for the long-vacant county property, Schnitzer recalled. He agreed and began to look into purchasing it himself.

Now Portland developer Marty Kehoe has sold a controlling interest in the Wapato Jail property to Schnitzer’s Harsch Investment Properties.

Schnitzer said he accepted fee title on the limited liability company controlling the property Friday. Kehoe is remaining on board the project as an adviser, Schnitzer said.

Yet, in keeping with the comedy of errors in the Wapato Jail’s history, Kehoe and Schnitzer appear to have differing visions of the property’s future.

Schnitzer said Tuesday he will meet next week with Portland developer Homer Williams, founder of the nonprofit Oregon Harbor of Hope, to discuss using the jail building as a homeless shelter with associated social services.

鈥淚f anyone can help figure this out, it’s Homer,鈥� Schnitzer said.

But Kehoe said the property would not be used as a homeless shelter.

鈥淎ll I can say is that’s not the plan,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat’s never been the plan.鈥�

It was only last week that Kehoe completed the purchase of the Wapato Jail from Multnomah County for $5 million after he’d submitted an initial $10.8 million offer that tied up the property for months. Schnitzer said he purchased the property from Kehoe for $5 million. The two had arranged a transaction before the sale from the county closed, Schnitzer said.

鈥淲e entered into a transaction with him that if he did it, it would basically transfer with us,鈥� Schnitzer said.

Williams was also bidding for the Wapato Jail at the time. He submitted a $7 million purchase offer that county commissioners opted not to entertain.

Now all three developers are involved in deciding Wapato’s future. Williams will have the 鈥渇irst shot鈥� at finding a public use for the property, Schnitzer said.

鈥淗e is a brilliant real estate dreamer and developer,鈥� Schnitzer said of Williams, pointing to his experience developing projects in the South Waterfront District and the Pearl District. 鈥淣ow he is devoting his life, he said, to help the homeless, and I admire that. The first crack is yours.鈥�

Schnitzer left the door open to other uses for the 18.24-acre property zoned for industrial use.

鈥淚f we can’t find a public purpose for it, we’ll try to repurpose the building for record storage or other use,鈥� Schnitzer said. 鈥淚f we can’t find a way to repurpose it, we’ll tear it down.鈥�

Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals rejected a past attempt to use an industrial-zoned property as a mass shelter.

During the time Multnomah County owned the property, county officials 鈥� with the notable exception of Smith 鈥� were skeptical it could ever be used as a homeless shelter. They cited the jail’s physical layout, operating costs and distance from transportation and service agencies in Portland’s core.

In 2016, the county’s Department of County Assets evaluated the potential use of the Wapato Jail as a homeless shelter. The county report found doing so would have a start-up cost of $950,000 and ongoing costs of $140,000 a month, including the need for five full-time-equivalent staff members.

The report noted it was unknown if the building’s physical systems would perform at full operation.

County Chairwoman Deborah Kafoury did not immediately respond Tuesday to a message seeking comment.

County commissioners 鈥渄id the best thing in terms of stopping the drain of dollars,鈥� Schnitzer said. The county was paying $300,000 a year in maintenance costs.

Schnitzer said the Wapato Jail purchase is part of his family’s legacy in giving back to Portland.

鈥淎ll of us, it breaks our heart to see all of these homeless folks,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t also hurts to see them on doorsteps hurting merchants who need their business to survive.鈥�