Following discussions at last month’s meeting and a subsequent Special Called Meeting on August 23rd, the Warsaw Town Council voted to acquire 74 Main Street, locally known as the former Friends of the Library building. The building, which includes .64 acres and 24 parking spaces, was purchased for $324,775 after the Town’s bid of $295,250 was accepted as the high bid.
Joseph Quesenberry, Town Manager, stated that “…subsequent to a competitive bidding process, the Town’s final bid of $295,250 was accepted as the high bid. Factoring in the mandatory buyer’s premium, this placed the final purchase price at $324,775, which is just over $75,000 less than the amount that the Town was offered for purchase at $400,000.”
Quesenberry went on to further state that “We plan to bring the building back to life and provide something that’s value-added to our Town. We’ll work to make sure that the new use will bring foot traffic to our downtown, assisting other local businesses and perpetuating our downtown revitalization efforts,” he said.
Mayor Randall L. Phelps stated that “… this building is truly the last location in our beautiful downtown that needed to be renovated and put to a good use. I’m pleased that we were able to acquire it and ensure it has a successful transition to a commercial use, much like we’ve done with Willow Stitch, Oyster Shoals Music Hall, or the former nursing home parcel on Route 360.”
