AHOSKIE – Are you hunting for prime real estate in downtown Ahoskie?

If so, contact the Ahoskie Town Hall.

Following a closed session during Tuesday’s meeting of the Ahoskie Town Council, a motion was placed on the floor to sell town-owned property. The motion passed by unanimous vote.

That property, located upstairs and downstairs at 118 West Main Street and 107 Railroad Street, was the former home of the Small Business Incubator. The incubator, whose purpose was to allow small businesses to grow and mature into self-sustaining companies, first opened in 1986. To abide by the terms of the grant Ahoskie received to open the incubator, the town had to maintain the two buildings for a period of five years.

The grant money to open the incubator came from the North Carolina Technological Development Authority. That organization was the foundation of what is now the NC Rural Center.

According to Ahoskie Town Manager Tony Hammond, there is no firm asking price for the property.

“We will handle this sale in the same fashion we use to sell any parcel of town-owned property n using the upset bid formula,” Hammond said. “We’re open to any and all bids after the first offer is made.”

The upset bid procedure is simple n a prospective buyer makes an offer and that offer is made public (through a legal notice in this newspaper) for a 15-day period. If no one “upsets” (makes a larger offer) the bid during those 15 days, the prospective buyer’s offer is taken before the Ahoskie Town Council for final approval. If a larger offer is made, then that bid becomes subject to another 15-day period to allow someone to tender a higher proposal.

“The upset bid process continues until a 15-day period has passed and no one has made an offer to upset the previous bid,” Hammond explained.

Hammond further added that the Council has the final decision to accept or reject any bid.

“The sale of this property is contingent upon approval of the Town Council,” Hammond concluded.

Those wishing to gain additional information concerning the old incubator site can contact the Ahoskie Town Hall at 332-5146.