For the second time this year, the City of Port St. Lucie is placing a few parcels of undeveloped property on the auction block. One is a hold-over from the previous auction that happened at the start of the year; the other is a new listing.
The two properties are located at 1550 SW Hackensack Ave. and 1518 Sutton St. Both are zoned for residential development. Winners of the auction will be allowed to go through the permitting process to have a home built per city codes and ordinances.
“This is a way for the city to reinvest,” said Lenora Sevillian, the city’s division director of procurement management. By auctioning the properties, Port St. Lucie is able to put the land back on the tax rolls.
Assistant City Manager Patricia Roebling told St. Lucie Voice earlier this year that the city inherited hundreds of vacant residential lots when the original developer, General Development Corporation, abandoned the region and the city incorporated.
Roebling said that many of the lots have been or will be turned into small neighborhood “pocket” parks, or for other municipal purposes, such as lift stations or stormwater retention.
The city has a committee that evaluates the lots and determines their potential uses. Those that don’t further the city’s needs are identified for potential auction.
The Hackensack Avenue property was first auctioned in February but did not sell, Sevillian said. It had been appraised for $28,000, which was set as the minimum bid. Since then, the St. Lucie County Property Appraiser’s Office has increased its appraised value to $30,000.
The other property, 1518 Sutton St., is appraised at $23,000. The city has decided that the appraised value of the property will serve as the opening bid, to ensure that the city is made whole by the auction.
The initial auction saw two of the four proffered lots sell. Both sold for the minimum, opening bid. One was a single lot at 1553 SW Janette Ave. for $25,000. The other was a double lot at 1540 SW Abingdon Ave. for $45,000.
The third property listed in the first auction, 1549 S Janette Ave. for $25,000, did not sell and is not currently up for auction. Sevillian said her team is waiting for direction on how to proceed with the property. It is possible it could be added to the next property auction.
Sevillian said the properties will convey as is. No improvements have been made to the sites and they have not been cleared of vegetation.
Frequently the city receives inquiries from adjacent property owners seeking to purchase the city-owned vacant lots, according to Roebling. By placing the properties on the auction block, the adjacent neighbors and everyone else all have an equal chance to purchase the lots.
The auction for Hackensack and Sutton is open now and will close at 3 p.m. Aug. 22. The winning bidders will be notified shortly thereafter. Closing is expected to take about 45 days and be contingent on City Council approval.
To view the auctioned sites and register to bid, visit www.CityofPSL.com/Auction.
