(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Board of Supervisors tried selling the Residential Care Facility during an auction that was held Tuesday afternoon at the Courthouse Annex Building. Auctioneer Bruce Brock opened the bidding process asking for an initial bid of $500,000 of which nobody responded.
Brock then lowered the bid to $250,000 and again no response. Brock then dropped the asking price to $100,000. Rex Knapp, acting as a board member for Pride Group, then offered a bid of $110,000 for the 4.6 acre complex that includes the 43-bed care facility, grounds, and maintenance sheds. Several directors and officials with Pride Group were in attendance for the auction. Brock kept asking for other bids, and still no one else placed another bid or showed any interest. Brock decided to take a few minutes break to allow sometime for those present at the live auction, as well as the 16 viewers watching the auction on-line, to consider their options. Following the few minutes of recess, the auction started again, but still with no other bids submitted. Brock indicated if he wouldn’t get a second bid of at least $115,000 he would conclude the auction and allow the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors the opportunity as sellers to decide if they wanted to accept the only offer of $110,000 or reject the bid, and hope to receive additional interest in the property at a later date.
Supervisor Craig Anderson made the motion to reject the offer of $110,000 and John Meis seconded Anderson’s motion. The supervisors then held a vote with all five supervisors voting in favor of the motion, and rejecting the sole bid for the county-owned Residential Care Facility located at 1240
Lincoln Street N.E. on the east edge of Le Mars.
