Two Bids Received for Sale of Renovo’s Mills Park

LOCK HAVEN – A Castanea businessman submitted the high bid to purchase the Clinton County Housing Authority’s Mills Park housing complex along Huron Avenue in Renovo. He is Micah Clausen, owner of Bald Eagle Bargains in Bald Eagle Township.

Bids were opened Tuesday afternoon at the Housing Authority’s Lock Haven office. Clausen’s bid was $326,000. A second bid was received from The Band, LLC of Silverdale, WA, in the amount of $245,000. Authority executive director Jeff Rich said the authority board will review the bids at its Nov. 21 meeting.

The authority earlier this year proceeded with plans to put the 27 units up for sale, citing Renovo vacancy rates higher than allowed by HUD (The Department of Housing and Urban Development).

Rich had noted earlier there was a minimum $660,000 fair market value price. He said all bids could be rejected by the authority board if that threshold is not met; in that case the local authority would re-advertise shortly after the first of the year.

Approval for the Mills Park sale had been received earlier this year from HUD’s Special Applications Center in Chicago. The authority received the go-ahead in May to dispose of nine buildings housing the 27 units and surrounding land. The Mills Park area includes the units on 13th and 14th Streets, St. Clair Avenue and Huron Avenue. The John Simon Community Center is not part of the disposition.

The federal approval follows a nearly three year effort to sell off the units; the actual application seeking HUD approval was filed more than a year ago.

Rich said a benefit to Renovo borough is the property will be returned to the tax rolls once the sale to a private owner is complete. There is expected to be a demand for rental housing in western Clinton County if and when the proposed $800 million Renovo Energy Center project enters its construction phase. Project backers say that could occur as early as sometime next year if all approvals and financing are in order.