The 16 acres of riverfront property that was once the site of the failed Augusta Golf Hall of Fame will be auctioned off to the highest bidder once Governor Sonny Perdue signs Senate Bill 449.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Hardy Davis, calls for the bidding to start at no less than the $2.8 million owed by the state for the property.

Davis says the bill also sets up some guidelines for how a proposed baseball stadium could be financed if it ends up being built there.

"To urge the mayor and the governor to make sure that we allow the voters to weigh in on that…whether that be by voter referendum or, if that doesn’t happen, to make sure that there are assurances that this will not be funded at tax-payer expense," said Davis.

Ripken Baseball, who owns the Augusta Green Jackets, is already in talks with developers at the Jacoby group on plans to submit a bid once the process begins.

Tags: Hardie Davis, Georgia Golf Hall of Fame, Georgia State Senator Hardie Davis, Georgia Golf and Gardens, Jacoby Group, Ripken Baseball