Lancaster County commissioners have decided not to accept an $800,000 bid to purchase Trabert Hall, but will instead look at other options for selling the building.
However, commissioners appear to be divided on what is the best decision for the building, 2202 S. 11th St., that was once a dormitory for student nurses and has been offices for county agencies for decades.
Some commissioners would like to get as much money as possible. Others appear to favor using it for nonprofit agency services.
The auction was an initial step in the process the county must use when it declares a property surplus and available for sale. The high bid at the auction on March 8 -- $800,000 -- was far below the county’s $2.025 million appraisal.
Some commissioners suggested trying to get closer to the $2 million appraisal price by using a broker.
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The county can actually treat this like the private sector does and hire a real estate agent and post a "for sale" sign, said County Board Chairman Todd Wiltgen at a Thursday staff meeting.
Other commissioners said they would like to consider selling the building at a much lower price to CenterPointe, a local nonprofit that serves people with mental health and addiction problems.
CenterPointe came up with some very strong uses, said Commissioner Roma Amundson.Ìý
But CenterPointe staff have said they could only afford to pay $400,000 for the building, which the agency would renovate for office and service space.Ìý
The $2 million appraisal was based on the building being converted to office use, the board was told.Ìý
The people who bid on the building were looking at residential uses, said Kerin Peterson, director of county-city property management.
Seven groups were interested enough to get information and tour the building and there were five bids. The $800,000 high bid came from Tru-Built Construction, she said.
The value of a building is up to the buyer, Amundson said. "I don’t think the market is out there for more (than the $800,000)."
People know about the issues involved with renovating or demolishing this building, and they consider these costs when deciding what they can pay for a building, she said.Ìý
But Commissioner Deb Schorr pointed out commissioners had plans for the money from Trabert Hall's sale, including using about $1.1 million to build a new emergency management agency center at the Youth Services Center.
The emergency management center, which serves as a communication headquarters during weather and other emergencies, is housed at 233 S. 10th St., but will be moving.
The County Board will take official action to reject the bid at its Tuesday meeting. That action will mean commissioners are free to negotiate a sale in the county’s best interest, said Kerry Eagan, chief administrative officer for commissioners.ÌýÂ