A failed attempt to auction off the Marana Agricultural Center won't budge the UA's asking price on the "experimental farm," said university faculty.
An April 6 auction of the 205-acre parcel 28 miles north of campus failed to yield any bidders. The land was appraised at $10.3 million but the bidding started at $16 million, said Joel Valdez, budget director for the university.
Valdez said the land is being sold for nearly $6 million more than it is apparently worth because he thinks the selling price for the land is "realistic."
Valdez said the land will again be auctioned "when we feel it's ready to go," and the price of the land is likely to inflate before the next auction.
Eugene G. Sander, dean of the College of Agriculture, said the next auction could be within the next six months because the current appraisal is valid for that long.
"It's perfect for any big developer who wants a major project," Valdez said, noting the ultimate fate of the land depends on the decisions of Marana's town planners, who must approve projects on the land.
Valdez said the UA hopes to be rid of the land by Jan. 1, but he said the moving date is unpredictable.
"Even if we sold it today we'd have to get permission to lease it for two more crops, which is under the control of the College of Agriculture," Valdez said.
The proceeds of the auction will go into the Agricultural Endowment Fund, which finances building, scholarships, and will help fund the reallocation of the operation to Red Rock, about 400 miles northwest of Tucson.
Valdez said Marana's urban development since the UA acquired the land in the 1950s forced the UA to relocate the experimental farm.
"Marana is growing like mad," he said, adding that the farm needs to be set off by itself and away from "houses, cars, smog, all that stuff."
Valdez said Red Rock is far enough away from the freeway.
Betsey Dolan, public relationships coordinator for Northwest Medical Center in Oro Valley, said the hospital is interested in several areas upon which to build new facilities, but the prospect of moving onto the Marana Agricultural Center is doubtful.
"We aren't ready to move forward on anything at this time," Dolan said. "Any additional structure built in Marana would still be several years down the road. We're not actively pursuing anything at this point."