SNOW HILL – County officials plan to work with a real estate agent to find a buyer for the former liquor control warehouse.
The Worcester County Commissioners last week voted to work with a commercial real estate agent to sell the county’s former liquor warehouse on Route 12. The decision came as the commissioners rejected bids of less than $100,000 for the property, which a recent appraisal valued at $990,000.
“They can put their feelers out and hopefully get some people that are interested at a real price,” Commissioner Joe Mitrecic said.
After disbanding the county’s liquor operations, officials agreed in December to sell the immense liquor control warehouse on Route 12.
“The first bid was really just a bid for the vacant property,” said Kelly Shannahan, the county’s assistant chief administrative officer. “The bidder owns the properties on either side of the liquor control warehouse and wanted to purchase the vacant land so they could expand their operations.”
The second bid, which was for the entire property, was $75,000.
“As you can see in my memo, we still owe $444,000 on the property roughly so we would not recommend accepting a bid at $75,000 and still owing an additional $350,000 or so,” Shannahan told the commissioners.
He asked for guidance as to how the commissioners wanted to get rid of the property.
“In the meantime, we will continue to use the property as we have been for the last several months, which is for overnight parking of county vehicles and also storage of some materials, specifically emergency services has trailers for emergency operations that are stored in the warehouse area,” he said. “We are looking for your advice on how to proceed with the sale.”
Mitrecic made a motion to reject the bids and work with a real estate agent.
“That would cost us virtually nothing in the beginning,” Mitrecic said. “They can put their feelers out and hopefully get some people that are interested at a real price.”
When asked if he thought an agent could find a buyer, Commissioner Bud Church, who works in real estate, said he believed the property would sell.
“There’s always someone that’s going to want a piece of property,” he said. “It’s a unique piece of property and it’s going to take a unique buyer but yes I think it will sell.”
The commissioners voted unanimously to approve Mitrecic’s motion.
