Rockport — Stuart and Marianne Smith of Camden purchased the building that formerly housed Farmer's Fare on Route 90 at a public auction Oct. 18.

Stuart Smith was the sole bidder for the property, agreeing to pay $375,000. The auction was led by Keenan Auction Company of South Portland.

Smith paid a $25,000 non-refundable deposit and the balance is due within 45 days, according to terms of the auction.

The building previously had been listed with Camden Real Estate for slightly less than $1.5 million. The building is assessed by the town at $997,500 and the land is valued at $169,400, according to town records.

Marianne Smith said the couple have no immediate plans for the building, but cited it as a "lovely, well-built building."

At this point, they are open to facilitating the building for other purposes, she said, when asked if they were open to the Five Town Community School District's prior interest in locating the district's alternative education program, Zenith, at the location.

The auction, which was initially slated to begin at 11 a.m., was postponed until 3 p.m. to accommodate buyers and maximize interest in the sale, said Stef Keenan, of Keenan Auction Company.

Keenan said there is currently a mortgage on the building through People's United Bank, but because it is a power of sale foreclosure he is not allowed to divulge the amount left to be paid on the mortgage. He said disclosure is allowed at civil foreclosure sales.

The equipment inside the building was sold piecemeal during an auction Aug. 22. At that time there was interest from an out-of-state buyer, but the deal fell through, Keenan said.

The 8,784-square-foot building was built in 2009 by Maine craftsmen and with all Maine building material and vendors, according to previously published reports. The facility includes 16-foot cathedral ceilings in the retail area, an elevator, commercial kitchen space, office space, exterior decks and a covered porch, daylight basement, paved and lighted parking, public water and sewer in addition to a spring-fed water supply, according to information previously provided by Keenan Auction Company.

Peter Christie and Teri Thompson-Christie of Camden opened Farmer's Fare, a market, food production facility, meeting place, restaurant and coffee bar, in September 2009. The business closed its doors 16 months later on Jan. 1, 2011, according to previously published reports.

Courier Publications Copy Editor Kim Lincoln can be reached at 236-8511 or by email at klincoln@courierpublicationsllc.com.