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Staff Photo by Brett Clark Rossville Middle School is shown Sunday afternoon. An open house was held for all former students and faculty of the school.
The old Rossville Middle School will be sold to the highest bidder now that Walker County officials have the building ready for a new owner, school officials said.
The building, which goes up for auction Thursday, already has drawn interest, Superintendent Melissa Mathis said. When she checked a couple of weeks ago, five different entities had contacted officials for information on the Bull Dog Drive building, she said.
The Board of Education will consider all offers but could reject any bid, she said.
Security and maintenance will be ongoing expenses if the building isn't sold, Ms. Mathis said.
Rock Spring, Ga.-based Potts Brothers Land & Auction Co. will conduct the auction, officials said.
The school was built 50 years ago as Rossville High School. Rossville High and Chattanooga Valley High were combined in 1989 to form Ridgeland High School, records show.
A new three-story, 94,000-square-foot middle school building was completed in 2008 to replace the old Rossville school, which has been gathering dust since. The new building was among several projects that included classroom additions and athletic facilities at other schools.
The empty building suffered from vandalism after sitting unsecured over the summer, but officials cleaned it up and made repairs just a few days after the damage was discovered, Ms. Mathis said.
Bruce Potts, co-owner of the auction company, said the old middle school property has a 124,000-square-foot building on more than seven acres. The school has a cafeteria, auditorium and a separate metal building, he said.
"We'll sell it as a whole, one-piece. It's not going to be subdivided," he said.
He added that speculators have been nibbling as the auction date nears.
"We have had several inquiries," he said. "We'll get the final and best bid, and the county school board will review it."
Bidders can inspect the property on Wednesday or by appointment, he said.
Ms. Mathis said the auction is the last phase of the school system's departure from the site. The auction will cut all school system ties to the property, she said.
"The site has much heritage and value to the community," she said. "It is filled with memories for generations of Rossville students."
IF YOU GO
What: Auction of Rossville Middle School building
When: 10 a.m. Thursday
Terms: 25 percent down day of sale, balance to be paid within 30 days. A 10 percent buyer's premium will be added to the winning bid.
Information: For an appointment to see the building, call 706-764-1226.
Ben Benton is a news reporter at the Chattanooga Times Free Press. He covers Southeast Tennessee and previously covered North Georgia education. Ben has worked at the Times Free Press since November 2005, first covering Bledsoe and Sequatchie counties and later adding Marion, Grundy and other counties in the northern and western edges of the region to his coverage. He was born and raised in Cleveland, Tenn., a graduate of Bradley Central High School. Benton ...
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