The Mt. Carmel City Council voted Monday afternoon to sell two tracts of surplus property in the Wolfe Addition to the Wabash Valley College Foundation for $60,000.
The property, located just off Oak Street adjacent to the college, had been offered for public bid. City Clerk Ryan Turner told the council the city received bids for each lot individually as well as bids for both parcels together.
The highest individual bids totaled more than $72,000, with Greg Neikirk offering $30,000 for one tract and Robert Burgess submitting a conditional bid of $42,331 for the second. However, the highest bid for both properties together came from the Wabash Valley College Foundation at $60,000.
Turner reminded commissioners the city reserved the right to reject any or all bids and accept the proposal deemed to be in the community's best interest.
Commissioners discussed the roughly $12,000 difference in revenue but also noted that selling the parcels separately would require additional legal work, including vacating a platted roadway and completing separate real estate closings.
Commissioner Susan Zimmerman said she supported selling the land to the college foundation, citing the institution's limited opportunities for future expansion.
The council ultimately agreed, voting to accept the Wabash Valley College Foundation's $60,000 bid. City officials noted the foundation already owns adjoining property, and the additional land will provide room for potential future growth should the college need to expand.
