Harford County government will attempt to sell the former Harford County Public Schools headquarters property at 45 E. Gordon St. in Bel Air through an auction set in early February.
The two-story brick building, which dates to the 1880s and has also been the home of the Bel Air Academy and Graded School, Bel Air Elementary School and Bel Air High School, has been unused since 2006. The county owns the one-acre property.
The auction is scheduled for noon on Feb. 5, according to a real estate sign posted next to the boarded-up building. The auction will be conducted through O'Neill's Auction Co. of Harford County.
"Glad to hear something's going on, moving forward," Bel Air Mayor Robert Reier said while discussing the auction during a town work session Dec. 30.
"I can confirm the county is going to auction the property," county government spokesperson Cindy Mumby said.
The Harford County Council adopted a resolution on June 10, 2014 declaring the property surplus.
According to a fiscal impact note prepared by the Office of the County Auditor last spring, the assessed value of the property for tax purposes was $857,400.
"Assuming it is not sold to a government entity, the property will generate approximately $76,823 in property tax revenue each year," the fiscal impact note states.