Port Royal officials didn't meet with the state last week, as planned, to hash out a development agreement for the Port of Port Royal, but the list of what the town wants included in that plan has grown.

When they eventually do meet, Town Manager Van Willis said he'll request that the S.C. State Ports Authority set aside 1.23 acres of the port property for the municipality to own.

Last month, the Ports Authority board unanimously approved a conceptual plan to guide the redevelopment of the 57 acre property. Under the plan, the waterfront property will include more than 22 acres of open space, while the amount of commercial space and the size of a marina have to be determined.

The port property needs to be closed and sold to a private developer by the end of the year, under legislation signed by Gov. Mark Sanford. Board member Glen Kilgore and Chairman Bill Stern said state officials would meet with Port Royal last week to discuss the development agreement, but that meeting didn't take place.

Under Willis' plan, the town would take control of the 1.23 acres near London Avenue after the first 10 years of the development agreement.

Willis said he sees the land as a money-making asset for the town.

"That is our intent to own it, but I want to make sure the environmental assessment is done before taking ownership," he said. "We don't want to take ownership of property that could have some issues. We want to dictate what could be constructed on there."

Willis said the market will guide what would be developed on the land once the 10-year time limit has expired.

"It could be anything on the land, from single-family homes to townhouses or even commercial use," he said.

Byron Miller, spokesman for the Ports Authority, said the conceptual plan will "drive the development agreement," and any discussions of the property will be between the town and the Ports Authority.

Miller didn't say when the development agreement or the re-surveying of the waterfront property would be complete.

State officials have said they would re-survey the land after discussion arose over whether the port property is 40 acres, which had been reported for years or the 57 acres recently suggested.

Miller also would not comment on the town's suggestion that it own 1.23 acres of the port property.

"We will continue to finalize the development agreement," he said.

Mayor Sam Murray said it's important the town has ownership of the 1.23 acres, but he said he has to wait to see what the development agreement states before deciding what could go on the land.

"I still have to wait for the development agreement to come to us before deciding on anything," he said. "Maybe some kind of civic facility such as a museum could be there, but I really don't want to speculate on what we could put there."