The sale of a city-owned historic building in Kurume, Kyushu, fell through recently, with the city now considering future options for sale. The building was built in 1927 as the Kurume Branch for the 77 Bank (now the Bank of Fukuoka). In 1968 it was sold to Kurume City and had been used as a public library annex and archives up until 2010. The exterior and interior remains largely unchanged from its original condition.

The city offered the building for sale via a public bidding process in 2017. The minimum bid was set at 17.8 million Yen (approx. 162,000 USD). The city received one bid from a local pharmacy but the buyer backed out as the potential restoration costs were a lot higher than expected.

As part of the public bidding process, bidders were required to submit usage proposals with a plan to utilize the historic building after renovating it within a 4 year time frame.

The 2-storey reinforced concrete building has a total floor area of 516 sqm (5,550 sq.ft) and sits on a 615 sqm block of land. The building includes a locked former bank vault.

Location

Hiyoshimachi, Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture

Sources:
The Nishinippon Shimbun, June 6, 2018.
Kurume City Homepage, June 1, 2018.

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