Crown Point looks to sell property at auction
By Carrie Napoleon Post-Tribune correspondent August 12, 2012 9:26PM
Updated: August 13, 2012 8:47AM
CROWN POINT — A city-owned property at 301 W. South St. moved a little closer to the auction block this week.
Wednesday the Board of Works and Public Safety approved a measure to recommend the city council put the parcel up for auction after a public hearing on the matter drew no comments.
“Once the (City Council) approves it we will be legally ready for an auction,” said Keith Stevens, chief of staff.
After the meeting Stevens said the city purchased the house and land, which sits on a corner lot, in around 2005 to facilitate some water works improvements. As time went on, design plans changed, and it was determined the property would not be needed for those improvements.
Stevens said there is a home on the property that could be renovated and returned to the tax rolls.
“That’s the reason we decided to put it on the market now. It’s falling into a state of disrepair,” he said.
If officials wait much longer before disposing of the property, the home could become impossible to repair and the city would lose and value left in the property.
Stevens said if the city council approves moving forward with the auction, state statute requires the city to obtain two appraisals and set a minimum bid of the not less than 90 percent of the average of those two appraisals for the auction. The matter will come before the city council in September.
