Ridgeland to re-bid sale of city hall

RIDGELAND — City officials are calling a mulligan after they were dissatisfied with an initial round of bidding submitted for the current City Hall on Highway 51.

Community Development Director Alan Hart told the board on Tuesday that they received one bid for the property at 304 Highway 51. He said it was lower than expected.

“We received one bid,” Hart said. “It came in a little lower than expected. I think we need to look at it again. I think we can pick up more bidders. I know someone asked me about submitting a bid after the bidding deadline.”

Hart said that the reassessment included a Class A survey. He noted that the lone bidder submitted his bid with conditions involving Purple Creek. Hart said that and other elements that would be assessed in the survey may help them present the bid in a more attractive way.

City officials have always said that a key component of selling the current building has been the ability to reject any bids they do not like. The building at Lake Harbour and Highway 51 has been up for sale for about a year. It was declared surplus property at the first meeting in August of 2019.

City officials say they expect to move into the new building at the corner of School Street and Highway 51 by the end of December following the completion of the currently under construction $15 million City Hall at that site. The building is largely being paid for by a bond issue totaling just under $20 million.

Hart said that he did not have the submitted bid in front of him during the meeting.