County rejects lone bid of $300,000 for 205 S. Main
Monday night Anderson County Commission rejected the lone bid for 205 S. Main Street.
Submitted by Rusty Wallace, the bid was for $300,000. The county bought the property for $600,000 to be used as a senior citizens center, but was never utilized as such because of mold problems. The county approved letting Stephenson Realty and Auction conduct an auction for the property. District Five Commissioner Robert McKamey made the motion to proceed with an auction.
Commission received the recommendation to proceed with an auction from the county’s Purchasing Committee.
“If we get $600,000 I’ll probably do cartwheels in the courthouse,” McKamey said.
District Six Commissioner Catherine Denenberg seconded the motion.
District Three Commissioner Josh Anderson suggested the county “hang on” to the property because “it will only increase in value” because of all of the changes coming to the downtown Clinton area.
District One Commissioner Chuck Fritts said, “We ought to take it out for a stroll and see what we get,” referring to the auction.
It was pointed out the county is under no obligation to accept the final bid from an auction because it is not an “absolute” auction. The county is also under no financial obligation for advertising or promoting the auction.
The auction should take place in about 60 days. That motion passed 15-1 with District Two Commissioner Robert Jameson offering the lone dissent.
Stephenson Realty and Auction is also handling the auction of a 3.34-acre site — with a small building — in the Tuppertown section of Oliver Springs.
Commission also voted to allow the auction of that property to proceed with no minimum bid. A date for that auction has yet to be determined.
