Government building on auction block
The government began an online auction Tuesday while final EIR for Campus Town in process
The federal government put a parcel of land up for auction on what was once Fort Ord in Seaside’s future Campus Town area beginning Tuesday with an opening bid of $300,000.
On Jan. 15 it was announced the United States General Services Administration would be holding a public sale for the parcel of land, including a large building. There was no posted close time for bidding.
Both the city of Seaside and KB Bakewell, the developer of the proposed Campus Town project, have not yet decided to bid on the project.
“We’re looking at it,” said Danny Bakewell, Jr., principal KB Bakewell Seaside Venture II.
“We’re doing our due diligence.”
Bakewell said his company is determining its course of action including taking a close look at what the property is worth and added it would “most likely make a bid.”
Seaside City Manager, Craig Malin said it has “yet to be determined” if the city would be making a bid for the land.
“The City Council would have to direct that action,” said Malin. “Given that the land would have to be developed pursuant to the Campus Town Specific Plan anyway, the ownership doesn’t make a whole lot of difference.”
In 2014, the Seaside City Council entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement with KB Bakewell to develop the Campus Town project, which is a proposed 85-acre development of 1,485 housing units, 250 hotel rooms, 75 youth hostel rooms, 150,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, and 50,000 square feet of office space. It is designed to provide arts, entertainment, retail, recreation and housing opportunities to the students, faculty of CSU Monterey Bay and the region at large.
The former Army building 4481 is located at the southwest corner of Colonel Durham Street and Parker Flats Cut-Off Road in Seaside. The property is about 1.67 acres and includes a vacant building of about 6,268 square feet, constructed in 1971. The building was previously used as a dining hall and features a kitchen with two metal refrigeration units and two restrooms. The property includes parking areas and neighbors the 304th Brigade Support Battalion office building, Army National Guard office building and a community church.
The online auction started Tuesday at 9 a.m. at RealEstateSales.gov with an opening bid of $300,000 and each bidder required to submit a bid deposit of $15,000. The General Services Administration conducted an open house last week inviting bidders to inspect the property prior to submitting their bids.
The property is being sold as-is and is zoned Commercial Mixed Use under the jurisdiction of Seaside. The current zoning may be subject to the proposed Campus Town Specific Plan.
“We are diligently working on a Final Environmental Impact Report for Campus Town and are planning for the first public hearing at the Planning Commission in February,” said Kurt Overmeyer, an economic devel
opment director for the city of Seaside. “If a third party purchased the property, the (Campus Town) specific plan would be the underlying zoning after the specific plan is adopted.”
Bakewell said
his company
is “moving aggressively toward the Final EIR” which he expects to be out in the next 30 days and hopes for Seaside City Council certification so that KB Bakewell Seaside Venture II can start working on infrastructure for the project so that “we can begin putting together what we think will be an extraordinary development for the city and its citizens.
I hope we can start moving dirt in 2020.”
The highest bid at the close of the auction will be considered for award of the sale. The government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for any reason.
The General Services Administration said the decision to sell the property was reached after a thorough review of options and authorities
available to the federal agency. The action is part of the General Services Administration’s efforts to make more efficient use of its real estate assets while saving taxpayer dollars and creating economic development opportunities in communities.