LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Building Authority is accepting bids for the purchase of the former Little Rock Veterans Home at 4701 Charles Bussey Ave.
Sealed bids will be accepted until 2 p.m. Feb. 28. Bid packages are available from Chris Thomas at the state Building Authority.
The 55,486-square-foot former school had been serving as a veterans nursing home and domiciliary for state veterans for more than two decades when it was shut down late last year.
The home closed after discovery of major structural issues caused by decades of neglect. The 1948 building has been patched over the years but never fully renovated.
An inspection last year estimated it would cost about $10 million to bring the building up to code.
Cissy Rucker, director of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, said Friday that a recent appraisal of the property was limited to the land because of the physical shape of the building. The property is appraised at $90,000.
A house adjacent to the property that had been used as a residence for the home administrator was appraised at $35,000. The home is part of the sale. About $65,000 in equipment - from commercial dishwashers and water heaters to a 150-kilowatt generator - will be included in the sale of the building.
The remaining furnishings and equipment at the home will be auctioned off Feb. 28. Bidders are required to register to be eligible to bid. Registration opens at 8 a.m. with the auction beginning at 10 a.m. at the home.
Arkansas, Pages 10 on 02/02/2013