The old Rivers Garage and Body Shop property is going up for auction

The Ravenna Township location of Rivers Garage and Body Shop is going up for auction on Dec. 15 and 16, following the closure of the Portage County staple in May.

Earlier this year, there were some potential buyers interested in the property, but they fell through when they tried to offer the family less than the property was worth, said Nancy Jones, the granddaughter of Opal and Halley Rivers Jones, the couple who owned and operated the shop for many years.

The entire Rivers property is up for auction, including the commercial garages, the house on the lot and several acres of land. Jones said the entire property is worth about $1 million. 

The company running the auction, Kaufman Realty & Auctions, has the property divided into parcels on its website with various starting bids, including a $25,000 start for the garages and a $10,000 start for the house.

Jones said they’ll also be auctioning off various tools, guns and ammo, motorcycles and old cars, including two Model As.

The auction will start at 10 a.m. on Dec. 15 and 16 on location at the Rivers Property at 5615 S. Prospect St. in Ravenna. For more details on the auction and to bid online, check the Kaufman Realty & Auctions website.

Editor’s note: Publisher Ben Wolford placed a very low bid on the Lot 1 property in hopes of securing a future newsroom for The Portager. The bid is certainly doomed, but best to mention it in the name of transparency.