Public Property For Sale in La Porte City
No longer the "future home of the La Porte City Fire Department."
The City of La Porte City has listed a property for sale - 504 Hwy 218 North - tucked in between Casey's and Pipho Family Dentistry... the former "future home of the LPC Fire Department," and a hotel before that.
When asked about the Fire Department project via email, LPC City Clerk Jane Whittlesey said "the fire department has decided to concentrate on maintaining the current fire station in lieu of fundraising for a new building." So, the property is now up for sale.
The property was originally purchased by La Porte City in November of 2020 for $130,000, and then incurred the cost of demolishing the old hotel on the property.
Some residents have expressed frustration with city leadership on Facebook, given the acquisition, demolition and ongoing maintenance costs combined with lack of actually using the property. Whether the city ultimately recovers those costs will depend on the final sale price and the total amount spent on acquisition, demolition, and maintenance during the city's ownership of the property.
Sealed bids are being accepted at City Hall until Noon on June 1, 2026. The minimum bid is $45,000, and bids will be opened at 3:00pm the same day. The winning bidder is required to submit earnest money - 10% of the bid amount - by June 8th, 2026.