Colquitt County Commission approved a land sale deal on Monday on nearly 13 acres of property that would pay more per acre than the county original paid for the entire tract.

In a 6-0 vote, commissioners approved the high bid tendered by Terramore Development of Thomasville. All commissioners voted to approve the sale except Commissioner Donna Herndon, who abstained citing a potential conflict of interest.

That bid for the 2.88 acres totaled just under $2.67 million, or $207,211 per acre. The other company that tendered a bid proposal — Northlake Wilwat Properties — submitted a bid totaling $2.34 million, or $182,080 per acre.

Three companies originally submitted proposals in an initial round, but there was some confusion between their bids as they used different acreage figures for the property.

The commission rejected all three bids, had a land survey done for the property and reopened the bidding process.

Terramore has a 90-day due diligence period to determine whether it is satisfied with the property and wishes to close on the deal.

That means the $2.66 million check is not in the bank yet, County Administrator Chas Cannon said on Tuesday when asked how the county would use the money.

“We’re not really looking at having it until we close,” he said. “We probably would put it in an interest-bearing account. There are needs, roads that need resurfacing.”

Although the county will have no say over how the land is used once it changes hands, the hope it will include a “national grocery chain,” Cannon said.

“That’s what the board is intending it to be,” he said. “Any development for the county is good for the county and (providing) jobs.”

The county has an adjacent piece of property that commissioners could put on the market in the future.

“If we think that land could be declared surplus for potential sale, we may look at it,” Cannon said.