<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Courtesy of today's (October 9, 2012) Moscow-Pullman Daily News.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">-------------------------------------</div><div><h1 style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none; "><font size="3"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Fed Building may sell Friday</span></font></h1><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Bidding for the Moscow Federal Building has reached the $1 million mark, with the online auction by the General Services Administration set to close Friday.</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">No bids were received in the first month or so, but in the past three weeks the offers rose from $400,000 to $1 million.</span></p><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: left; "><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"I don't know anyone at this point who is still in the ball game," said Shelley Bennett, commercial real estate broker.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: left; "><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">She said the federal agency gave a private tour of the building to potential bidders from Alaska last week.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: left; "><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The GSA held its final open house Friday, which was followed by two bids that came in simultaneously.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: left; "><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"It appears that Bidder No. 4 has set it for an automatic bid," Bennett said. "I don't think the auction will be over this week."</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: left; "><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">She said bids for the Federal Building likely could reach $1.5 million before a winner is decided. Friday's closing would be extended 24 hours if a bid is placed before 10 a.m. that day and each subsequent day bids are received.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: left; "><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Federal agencies within the building are guaranteed occupancy for two years under leases with GSA. County leases are not, but Latah County commissioners are hopeful they can keep office space there once the property sells.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: left; "><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"I'm really interested in finding out who our new landlords are going to be," Commissioner Dave McGraw said. "I've had a couple people call and talk to me and asked if we're still interested in staying there."</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: left; "><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But with an unknown outcome, a potential new owner could have county offices vacated from the building with 30 days notice.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: left; "><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"We honestly haven't even looked at any other office space," McGraw said. "We don't have a Plan B at this point."</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: left; "><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; float: none !important; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said finding alternative office space will be his primary focus this week.</span></p></div></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "> ------------------------------------<br><br><div>Seeya at the polls, Moscow, because . . .</div><div><br></div><div>"Moscow Cares"</div><div><a href="http://www.MoscowCares.com">http://www.MoscowCares.com</a></div><div> </div><div><div>Tom Hansen</div><div>Moscow, Idaho</div><div><br></div><div>"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."</div><div><br></div><div>- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)</div><div> </div></div></div></body></html>