After failed negotiations to buy a small family-owned church in Parramore that stands in the way of a new Major League Soccer stadium, City Hall plans to condemn the building.

The city went to court months ago to take two other vacant parcels next door, but continued negotiations with Faith Deliverance Temple, understanding the sensitivity of knocking down an African American-owned place of worship to build a professional sports venue.

City officials offered $1.5 million — more than twice the appraised value — but Pastor LeAndrew Shack said that's not enough to move the church.

"That wouldn't even be enough to rebuild what we have, at what it costs today," Shack said. "How is that fair?"

Records show the church's board countered with a much higher number: $35 million in cash. Plus, the board wants the city to buy and renovate another property in MetroWest that's listed at $2.9 million.

Mayor Buddy Dyer isn't willing to go that high.

"We've tried to be as reasonable as we possibly can be," Dyer said Wednesday. "But a counter-offer of [nearly] $40 million for a $700,000 piece of property, we don't think is being reasonable."

The city plans to file eminent domain proceedings, asking a judge to decide the fair market price and allow the city to take the property.

There were two appraisals, including one by an appraiser selected by the church. One put the value at $675,000, the other at $695,000.

"We have an obligation to expend taxpayer funds in a responsible manner….Unfortunately it feels as if we have no choice but to initiate the process of acquiring the property by eminent domain," Chief Assistant City Attorney Roy Payne wrote in a letter to the church.

In the same Dec. 17 letter, the city slashed its original offer by more than a third to $945,000, and gave church leaders 30 days to respond. That deadline has now passed, and the City Council on Monday is expected to approve going to court.

Major League Soccer granted the minor-league Orlando City Soccer Club an expansion franchise in November. A prerequisite of earning that franchise was that a new soccer stadium be built. The city and Orange County, along with the team, have already agreed to jointly fund the $84 million venue.

The team hopes to begin playing in the new facility in 2015, but the city has to acquire all of the land before work can begin. The city spent $8.3 million to buy most of the land last year and filed eminent domain actions against two holdout property owners a few months ago.

The small, family-owned Faith Deliverance Temple is the final piece.

Pastor Robert Williams and his wife, Catherine, moved their church to Parramore in the late 1970s, and have been at the current site since the early 1980s, where services were held in a warehouse until a new church could be built by scraping together donations from members and hiring day laborers.

Robert Williams died in 1997, but his wife continues to oversee church operations and other family members serve in various roles. Their daughter, Kinsey, co-pastors with Shack, her husband.

Church members based their asking price, in part, on the city's decision in 2007 to spend about $35 million to acquire a piece of First United Methodist Church's downtown campus so the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts could be built.

At the same time, church members said they expected the city to continue negotiations with another offer.

"It comes as a surprise to us," Jonathan Williams, son of the church's founders, said of the eminent domain action. "We're still looking to work with them. What they were offering and what it would cost us to move just didn't jibe."

The predominantly African American Parramore community suffers with high rates of poverty and joblessness, and many residents say its residents did not benefit from the construction of other city venues such as the original Orlando Arena and the Amway Center.

An aide to the mayor said the city has tried to be sensitive to the negative image of condemning a church. Dyer sought advice from members of his Mayor's Council of Clergy on how to deal with the church.

"Knowing there could be that perception, the mayor wanted to speak with them and get their guidance on this situation," Heather Fagan said.

Mark K. Matthews of the Sentinel's Washington Bureau contributed to this report. mschlueb@tribune.com or 407-420-5417