A Depression-era federal building where customs officials once inspected imports is scheduled to go to auction next month.
The General Services Administration said Wednesday that it plans to sell the eight-story United States Appraisers' Stores property at 103 S. Gay St., opening it for online bids in March, with site visits scheduled in March, April and May.
GSA decided to dispose of the 169,801-square-foot property in 2010 because of its projected repair needs.
The agency hopes to complete a sale by the end of September, said GSA officials, who declined to describe the cost of operating the building or the agency's target price. State land records place its assessed value at about $10.4 million.
"We expect a heavy level of interest based on the phone calls that we've received over the past few years prior to it being [a] public sale," said Maureen Steward, a GSA asset manager.
The Art Deco building, rimmed with Corinthian columns and decorated with eagles, opened in 1935 after the city's increasing import operations outgrew the previous building. Federal agencies moved into the building in 1983, after Baltimore's customs operations shrank. The last tenant moved out in November.
A new owner must retain the Appraisers' Store's marble lobby and brick-and-limestone facade, under the terms of an agreement with the Maryland Historic Trust, which recognizes the building's design for giving "an impression of solidity and steadfastness in times of economic turmoil, while at the same time not appearing unnecessarily opulent or excessive."
The building also contains a small courtroom, complete with mahogany judge's bench, while a 1934 Baltimore Sun article highlighted its 1,100 overhead lights and 96 electric clocks.
By law, GSA must offer the property, located one block from the Inner Harbor, to federal, state and local government and nonprofit groups before taking the site to private sale. One homeless services organization applied to take over the property, but the application was not strong enough, GSA officials said. They declined to identify the organization.