Old Frat House Changes Hands In Potsdam

POTSDAM - The town of Potsdam officially purchased one village property on Elm Street and put another one up for sale on Lawrence Avenue Tuesday night.

Town Supervisor Marie C. Regan signed documents presented by Town Attorney Francis P. Cappello closing on a deal with Kip E. and Kevin J. Blanchard to purchase the old Sigma Pi fraternity house across from the Potsdam Post Office at 18 Elm Street.

The total purchase price to taxpayers is $61,781.74, according to Mr. Cappello. He said the cost includes $60,000 for the land and building and $1,781.74 for tax prorations, deed recording and real property transfer.

Mr. Cappello told the board there will also be additional costs associated with razing the old fraternity and readying the lot for future construction.

The town is hoping to build a new courtroom complex on the site, according to Mrs. Regan.

She said a recent aerial photograph taken of the property shows room for more than 20 parking spaces in addition to the building itself.

In addition to closing on the old Sigma Pi property, the town board voted unanimously last night to begin soliciting public bids to sell 29 acres of land the municipality owns on Lawrence Avenue next to AA Kingston Middle School.

Mrs. Regan said the town plans to use money from the Lawrence Avenue sale to defray the cost of its recent purchase at 18 Elm Street.

"I would like to accept the highest responsible bid and have the option to not accept any bid if we don't think it is fiduciarily responsible," Mrs. Regan said.

The town board agreed to begin accepting bids on the property until March 26. The bids will be opened during a special meeting of the town board slated for March 29 at 4 p.m. at the town hall at 35 Market Street.

The town purchased the vacant tract of farm land it now owns on Lawrence Avenue in 2006 from Violet A. Cook for $40,000.

Town officials had originally hoped to build a $3.2 million, three-story municipal complex on the site, but voters rejected the initiative in April 2008.

In early February the town board declared the parcel "surplus property" and announced its intention to put the land up for sale.