Five properties set to be

auctioned off in Norwich
Biggest event ever of its kind will boost tax base
By Jim Wright

           NORWICH – The City of Norwich will have its biggest real estate sale ever when it places five properties up for auction at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
            “The bottom line is we have determined we don’t need any of them anymore, and we would like to see them places back on the tax rolls,” city Mayor Robert C. Raphael Jr. said.
            The auction will take place at 14 E. Main St., one of the five properties to be auctioned off by Mel Manasse & Son.  Auctioneer Mel Manasse of Whitney Point, who’s been in the auction business for 40 years, said he’s looking for a large turnout.
            The properties to be auctioned are:

• The Borden Avenue Transportation Building.  Built in 1985, the 20,000 square-foot building is on two acres of land.
  It was home to the Norwich Fire Department until April, and is partially occupied now.

• An East Main Street building, now occupied by the Norwich Elks Lodge 1222.     It is 15,000 square feet and two stories with a banquet area, two bars, a dining area and a bowling alley.

• The former Ward School building, also on East Main Street.  It is a 12,000-sqaure-foot, three-story building on a 1.38 acre lot.  The building is handicapped accessible and was only recently vacated.

• The former Sheldon Street Fire Station, which is approximately 1,300 square feet.  It was formerly occupied by the Ontario Hose Co. of the Norwich Fire Department.

• A vacant 2.2 acre State Street commercial property.

The Sheldon Street property and the vacant commercial lot will be sold regardless of price, although the city has placed a minimum price for the other three buildings, Finance Director William J. Roberts said.
            “We have been looking at doing this for over a year. We don’t want to have to maintain them when we have no use for them.  We need to cut our costs with winter coming and eliminate the heat utility and maintenance charges,” Raphael said.
            Raphael declined to discuss the amount the city hopes to obtain from the five properties.
            “The auctioneers felt if would draw a better crowd if we put them all up to sell together rather than spreading the sale out over a period of time,” Raphael said.

[Binghamton Press, Our Towns – Friday, November 18, 2005]