City of Quincy accepting proposals for sale of 17 parcels of property; deadline is Dec. 23

QUINCY — The City of Quincy is asking for the submission of sealed proposals for the purchase and redevelopment of the 17 parcels of property, including the site of the former Newcomb Hotel at 400 Maine.

All of the properties are vacant lots. Chuck Bevelheimer, director of planning and development for the city, said most of the properties have gone through the fix-or-flatten process. If an owner doesn’t address issues at their property, an order will be filed in Adams County for any structure to be demolished. An invoice for the cost of demolition will be sent to the property owner, and if the owner fails to respond, the city will foreclose on the property.

The historic five-story Newcomb Hotel was gutted in a five-alarm fire on Sept. 6, 2013.  The city demolished the building and later cleaned up the property. Bevelheimer said any “for sale” signs placed on that property are either vandalized or blown away by strong winds.

Sealed proposals will be accepted until 4 p.m. Dec. 23 in the purchasing department, 730 Maine, Suite 226. A redevelopment plan, if any, must stipulate that all such redevelopment work will be completed within one year from the date of closing. The purchase price offer must be for a sum certain. The proposed purchase price will be considered together with a proposed redevelopment plan, if any. Therefore, the highest purchase price may not be the sole determinant in the city’s acceptance of a proposal.

“There is no minimum bid for any of the properties,” Bevelheimer said. “All proposals are subject to City Council approval, so they’re not just looking for an amount. They want to know what the plan is. They’re going to want a better-than-average building at that corner. It needs to have character and curb appeal.”

Most of the lots for sale are zoned R2 (two-family residential) or R3 (multi-family residential). However, Bevelheimer says many of the lots are very narrow, and anything more than a single-family dwelling would be difficult to build. Any lot zoned R2 or R3 can have a single-family dwelling.

The city reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive any technicalities. The City of Quincy encourages minority participation in the submission of proposals. 

City properties for sale