The General Services Administration has put up a former Agriculture Department research facility for public sale through an online auction that started on Aug. 15.
GSA said Wednesday the Fresno, Ohio-based North Appalachian Experimental Watershed Research Facility is a 631-acre property that consists of 21 buildings and forest, crop and pasture lands.
USDA built NAEW in the 1930s to facilitate water conservation research, GSA added.
“This auction is an example of GSA’s intent to remove properties that are no longer needed in the federal inventory,” said Ann Kalayil, GSA Great Lakes regional administrator.
Kalayil added the public sale serves to help GSA limit its federal footprint and open an economic development opportunity in Coshocton County where the facility stands.
The agency noted the starting bid is $500,000 and interested bidders should submit an online registration form and a $25,000 deposit.
GSA has worked with agencies to generate proceeds of $66 million from selling 173 government assets in fiscal year 2015.
