BY BILL FREEHLING

A property off U.S. 1 in Stafford County that was the former home of a Barnes Furniture warehouse and the Sports Booth Athletic Center is now under new ownership.

The investors that owned the loan on the property at 18 Blackjack Road, a group that includes Fairfax-based Adler Financial Group, officially took ownership of the property Friday morning at a foreclosure auction held in front of Stafford Circuit Court.

A representative for the noteholders placed the opening bid of $4.4 million, and none of the roughly 20 people gathered for the auction bid any higher. That means the lenders will take possession of the 80,000-square-foot warehouse property near Stafford Regional Airport.

Though there were no competing bids, there was plenty of interest in the property. Among the people gathered for the auction were local real estate investor Mike Adams, who owns nearby property, as well as representatives for the Fredericksburg Field House in Spotsylvania County and Mount Ararat Baptist Church in North Stafford.

Both Fredericksburg Field House and Mount Ararat have expressed interest in the property. Fredericksburg Field House could use it for volleyball and basketball leagues, while Mount Ararat could use it as a satellite facility for youth sports programs.

The new owners could decide to lease or sell the property to those organizations or a different entity.

Sports Booth had operated the indoor sports center but closed last fall. Fairfax-based Stafford Furniture Deliveries LLC had owned the property, which had been on the market for some time before Friday's auction.

Friday's sale did not include the personal property inside the former Sports Booth facility. People interested in purchasing that property were told to contact Todd Dempsey at First Virginia Community Bank, which has a lien on the property.

Bill Freehling: 540/374-5405
Email: bfreehling@freelancestar.com