Lease ending, not being renewed

by Steve
(Salt Lake City, Utah)

I have had a Cricket lease for the past 15 years and as expected after the AT&T acquisition, was just recently notified they will not be renewing the lease which expires in Oct 2015. The antennas are on top of a high tension power line pole owned by Rocky Mountain Power Company rather than on their own steel “tree”. The pole is on our property but obviously not ours or part of our lease. They build a very nice equipment building on our property, approximately the size of a freestanding 1 car garage. The land the building is on is what the lease is about of course.

AT&T and/or their affiliates are offering along with the notification that they are not renewing the lease in October a cash payoff of $8000.00 to leave the building on site and walk away without having to demo it and return the site to its original state. I believe the cost to demo and re-landscape could easily exceed this number due to the fact it is not readily accessible. They also said they would remove their radios and switching equipment from the building. Whether or not they would choose or be required to remove the antenna’s from the power pole I am not sure.

My questions are this: First and foremost, I would much rather keep the infrastructure in place and continue to lease it. Is it possible to find another carrier that would be interested in this already established set up? And secondly, if not, should I be negotiating with AT& T for more money on the walk-away or just take the offer and run?

Thanks in advance for any advice you may have,

Best regards,

Steve