Middle Smithfield supervisors accept $1.1 million bid for municipal golf course

A bid for the Middle Smithfield Township municipal golf course has officially been awarded.

During the June 27 township Board of Supervisors meeting, all three supervisors voted to accept Ryan Schmidt’s bid, on behalf of Minnesota-based Rise Select LLC, for the Country Club of the Poconos.

Rise Select was the presumed winner at the June 13 meeting, pending legal review of the bids.

Those who bid cannot withdraw their bids for 120 days, according to Board of Supervisors Chairperson Annette Atkinson. The highest bidder, in this case Rise Select, will have 60 days to close, and if they cannot, the township retains the deposit and the next-highest bidder will have a chance to close.

During the meeting, Atkinson said that the purchase was “a monumental effort twelve years in the making.”

The township received four bids for the golf course when it extended bidding by 90 days after receiving no bids in March . Rise Select made the highest bid, totaling $1.1 million, with a high bid price of $1 million and a buyer’s premium of $100,000.

"Extending the bid period for another 90 days was a good choice,” said Atkinson, as was having RKR Hess conduct a survey. “So, I guess what I’m saying is, is if it takes a village to do something, it takes a whole township working together to accomplish this.”

Schmidt told the supervisors that he is excited to get started on the project. When asked by meeting attendee Tom Wolf about general plans, Schmidt said that Rise Select plans to keep it a golf course, but that it was too early for elaborate plans.

"We were down there a few days ago,” said Schmidt. “We spent a couple of days in town there, and we can see the potential. The area is just vibrant, so we’re excited to get in there and kind of get our hands wrapped around things.”

Max Augugliaro is the public safety and government watchdog reporter at the Pocono Record. Reach him at MAugugliaro@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Middle Smithfield supervisors accept $1.1 million bid for municipal golf course