The grassy lot at Habersham Street and Oglethorpe Avenue could look a lot different a year or so from now.

And if all goes according to plan, the city could have some extra cash on hand to address Savannah's growing crime problem.

The city is planning on selling downtown property, previously purchased for a new Savannah-Chatham police headquarters, to fund public safety priorities.

Selling the vacant lot, about 1.2 acres, could generate $6.5 million to $8.5 million in today's market, Savannah Alderman Brian Foster announced during the Savannah City Council workshop Thursday.

"We know there are interested parties," Foster said.

That estimated revenue would be more than double the $3 million the city paid for the property in 2012 as a location for a new police headquarters.

Located across the street from the existing police headquarters, the site is currently being used by officers for parking.

Foster has been working with staff to develop a plan to fund more than 200 new surveillance cameras he expects to help reduce and solve crimes.

City officials had considered borrowing funds by issuing bonds or making budget cuts to pay for the investment, but Foster said the sale should cover the costs of the cameras and possibly other police equipment such as vehicles and computers.

The city is planning on hiring a real estate firm to market the sale to sell the property for the most they can.

Foster said the city has had a tendency to sell property for the appraised value, which he believes is below what the market rate is these days for the downtown location.

"We are going to take advantage of the strong market when we can," he said.

The firm is also expected to provide similar services for the sale of additional city properties, including the municipal building on Broughton Street. The departments in that building are being relocated to the former Catholic Diocese building on East Broad and Liberty Street the city purchased last year for $3.5 million.

As part of the sale agreement, Foster said the city will be able to set terms, such as providing sufficient parking for officers. Those terms could also dictate what type of development goes there, including possible retail and residential use.

"I'm not so sure we need another hotel down there for instance," Foster said.

News of the planned sale comes after Savannah-Chatham police Chief Joseph Lumpkin issued a "wish list" earlier this year at the council's request of police department needs. Those needs included a new headquarters at an expected cost of about $50 million, although the cameras, as well as vehicles were deemed more immediate investments.

After Thursday's announcement, Lumpkin said the existing headquarters needs work, but he is OK with the property sale if there is adequate parking provided for his officers and necessary work is performed on the existing building. He said he prefers that the headquarters remain downtown, however.

But Savannah Alderman Julian Miller, who previously worked as a police spokesman, said he believes a new headquarters is needed, although he supports selling the planned site and returning the property to the tax roles.

"You don't put city buildings on the most valuable parts of town," he said. "The city needs to go where developers are not willing to go."

The headquarters building, which dates back to the 1870s, has had a variety of maintenance issues over the years, which the city has made failed attempts to fix, Miller said. Also, Miller said the building is too small to accommodate the various administrative departments spread throughout the city.

"It would make a great museum," he said.

The plan to fund the cameras was announced after Lumpkin presented the council with the year's latest crime statistics. As of July 2, violent crime in the city has increased by 15 percent compared to last year, according to the report.

During the regular meeting, the council:

• Approved a taxi ordinance staff has been developing with cab owners for more than 10 years. The ordinance adjusts rates, requires the acceptance of credit cards and imposes a driver code of conduct that must be displayed, in addition to requiring the acceptance of service animals and imposing a fee on riders who get sick or otherwise "soil" the vehicle while being transported.

• Approved an agreement with Savannah Technical College, which has developed a interpersonal relations and professional development class for students enrolled in the city's Summer 500 intern program.

• Approved the purchase of mobile parking payment service provided by Delaware-based Passport. The cost to set up is capped at $25,000, but the city will pay nothing after that. Instead, Passport charges the users a 5-cent fee for each transaction.