Bidders, don't forget the details

Development plan required for sale of city-owned lots

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

By JOHN R. PULLIAM

The Register-Mail

GALESBURG - The upcoming sale of properties by the city of Galesburg is its largest single sale and the first to include houses. Individuals have until Monday to submit bids for 39 lots and three houses. Bids must be at the city manager's office in City Hall, 55 W. Tompkins St., by 7:30 p.m. Monday.

The bids will be opened at the beginning of Monday's meeting of the Galesburg City Council. Associate City Planner Julie Main said it may be a while before bidders know if they were successful. Not only does the amount bid for each property have to be looked at, a development plan must be submitted with each bid and then evaluated.

Main said Section N, the proposed development plan, is vital.

"You have to describe what you are going to do," Main said. "This is very important. We didn't do a separate form for that. I'm just hoping the bidders (complete) that.

"I think that the process could take a while," she said, "to go through all the bids and evaluate (them). Once the City Council accepts the bids (the successful bidder) has 30 days to go to the closing."

The city has had similar sales in the past. Liens are filed against properties the city has had to mow or has assessed charges against because of ordinance violations. If the liens remain unpaid, the city forecloses. The idea of selling the properties through the bidding process is to put them back on the tax rolls. City officials also hope new houses or businesses will be built on some lots.

The three houses, obtained from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, are an opportunity. Main said anyone wanting to take a look at the houses should contact her at City Hall, 345-3614. The houses are located at 427 Lombard St., 1892 Grand Ave., and 826 E. Second St. All three include a detached garage, the house on Lombard Street also has a shed.

A number of properties near Kiwanis Park, north of Knox Street, are in the TIF II area. That means a number of incentives are available for potential new businesses. The TIF II district was established to lure more commercial development to the East Main Street/Interstate 74 area.

There is no minimum bid required, but council members want to receive at least as much as the city has invested in each property. Main said Habitat for Humanity of Knox County has bought a number of lots in the past.

Jim Ecklund, executive director for Habitat for Humanity of Knox County, said, "We're planning to bid on two of (the lots)."

Habitat has finished 34 houses in Knox County, including 28 in Galesburg. Other Habitat houses were built in Abingdon, Altona, Victoria and Wataga.

Forms needed to submit a bid and information are available at the second-floor service counter in City Hall. Another 33 vacant lots and one house west of Seminary Street will be available through another bidding process "within the next couple of months," Main said.

Ecklund said Habitat has built nine houses in the southwest section of Galesburg. With a number of lots in the second group of properties in that area, he said Habitat will be taking a look at what is offered.

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On the Net: www.ci.galesburg.il.us/