A four-month bidding war for the former Madawaska port of entry has ended with the building’s sale.
The U.S. General Services Administration, which handles federal property, listed the former border station sold as of yesterday, with a final bid of $173,000.
The GSA launched the auction in late August, with the first bid at $25,000. But this month, interest has exploded in the 63 Bridge St. property. In the last three weeks, 71 of the total 89 bids have poured in, more than tripling the Nov. 14 offer of $52,050.
The site includes a 5,800-square-foot building that sits on about an acre. Built in 1959, the facility was deactivated in August 2024, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection moved into a new $73 million building, accompanied by the opening of the new Madawaska International Bridge between the Aroostook County town and Edmundston, New Brunswick.
It is unknown who bought the building. GSA representatives were not immediately available for comment.
Bidders are identified by numbers, rather than names, on the auction site. The contest has been largely between three parties who have kept outbidding one another.
The most frequent bidder issued 43 bids, from $26,000 to $172,000. The second most frequent submitted 16 bids over about a two-week period in December, ranging from $134,000 to $171,000. The winning bidder submitted 14 offers, starting at $50,000 on Sept. 30.
Together, they comprised 73 of the 89 bids.
The auction experienced delays due to the government shutdown, as well as several extensions because bidding activity was so high. There must be no bids in a 24-hour period for the sale to close, GSA officials said last week. As the bidding war escalated and bidders responded within minutes or hours, the auction was extended.
It’s rare for the government to auction off former ports of entry, according to the GSA. But from the auction’s start, officials hoped selling the building would encourage local growth.
“In the spirit of fiscal responsibility and smart asset management, GSA is transforming an underutilized border facility into an opportunity for community and economic development,” Public Buildings Service Regional Commissioner Glenn C. Rotondo said in August.
