14,000 Acres Of New River Gorge Land Sell For $12M (Charleston: for sale, houses)

[Two-Rivers]

Beckley, W.Va. (AP) -- An auction company has sold more than 14,000 acres in West Virginia's New River Gorge for $12.25 million.


Woltz & Associates of Roanoke, Va., says the three-phase auction drew about 140 people and 51 registered bidders.


In the end, seven buyers split up the land through a combination of sealed bids, a private sale and a live auction at Tamarack in Beckley.


On Thursday, president Jim Woltz said 2,814 acres in Fayette, Raleigh and Greenbrier Counties sold for $1.85 million at the live auction.


Before that, more than 10,000 acres were sold for $8.3 million through sealed bids, and 1,584 acres in Fayette County sold for $2 million in a private transaction.


He did not identify the buyers.

[RosemaryT]

I wish I'd known about this. I have put in a bid.

Oh wait, all I can afford is about $128. I guess that wouldn't have carried the day.

I love, love, love West Virginia. Wish I could figure out how to move there. Hubby's stuck here in Norfolk with a pesky little something he calls a "j.o.b."

Seriously, $12 million sounds pretty cheap for all that property, and 51 registered bidders for a three-phase auction sounds very, very low. Just tell me it's not going to be developed into a zillion crummy McMansions?

Rose Thornton

[Silkdashocker]

Originally Posted by RosemaryT

Just tell me it's not going to be developed into a zillion crummy McMansions?

Rose Thornton

I hope not too. This is one of the more beautiful areas in the eastern United States. It would be a trajedy to see this area developed into homes to the point that it ruins it's natural beauty.

[David Kennedy]

Was this independant of the Boy Scout purchase for the new High Adventure site for the country?

What they will be doing...creating an incredible recreation facility for the country will blow this region off the map completely...get ready for some positive change...

[kookamus]

If you go south on RT 19 over the New River Gorge Bridge look to the right. When the leaves are gone you can see houses.

[David Kennedy]

I thought that was a big scale housing development that went bust about two years ago...

If a developer was looking into the next 100 years of potential, Wv would be the place to go...

An eastern Colorado in the making, if the political corruption and mafia pollution could be exterminated.

Wv is within a comfortable driving distance (10 hour drive) of 60% of our countrys population...they will bring the bucks.

[GraniteStater]

That sounds like a suspiciously high amount of land to come up for sale in a short period of time. Some of this area is just south of the Monongahela National Forest.

[Threerun]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

Was this independant of the Boy Scout purchase for the new High Adventure site for the country?

What they will be doing...creating an incredible recreation facility for the country will blow this region off the map completely...get ready for some positive change...

The BSA High Adventure Camp is 10,600 acres along the New River. The owner of Bechtel donated the land. If it can draw half the number of visitors as Philmont does, it's going to be a nice addition to WV. Truly a feather in our cap.

I took a crew out to Philmont in 1999 (my pre-kids period). The place is wonderful. Truly an adventure for young men. Often the biggest adventure they will ever have.

Other than marriage maybe... or parenthood, lol.

Fayette to become home of Scout Jamboree* - News - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports

[David Kennedy]

We sent the younger son to Philmont one summer and the Jambo at A P Hill the next....great program.

Me?

I'll be in the little white booth at the Fairmont Baptist Temple selling Christmas trees for the Mountaineer Area Council fund raiser...25 years this year...and I don't expect to ever get them paid back for the help they gave us in raising our sons...

if we do this for another 25 years, I'll only be 87 then...did I mention that this is the time to enjoy those great smokin' Hot Dogs from Woody's?