By Beth Duckett | The Arizona Republic
Scottsdale is planning to purchase another 2,365 acres of state trust land this fall for its McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
The Arizona State Land Department, which is selling the property, recently set an auction date of Nov. 19. The minimum bid is $21.3 million.
The land, south of the Bell Road alignment and west of the 136th Street alignment, was appraised at $19 million to $21.3 million, according to the department.
The purchase, if successful, would expand Scottsdale’s 27,800-acre nature preserve to a little more than 30,000 acres – a milestone in the city’s long-term quest to acquire about 34,000 acres.
A state grant will cover part of the purchase price.
