Join Britt Music & Arts Festival staff to explore the recently purchased U.S. Hotel building before it undergoes a significant transformation into Britt’s new office from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 2, at the U.S. Hotel, 125 E. California St., Jacksonville. Learn about the history of the building, plans for the future, and support the renovation efforts with a raffle including Britt experiences and packages from Jacksonville’s merchants, wineries and restaurants. Speakers include Chris Brown and Jerome White, of arkitek: Design & Architecture, and local historian Carolyn Kingsnorth. Britt’s new logo will be unveiled at 3:15 p.m. Admission is free. Dine and shop around town before and after your visit, and participating partners will donate a percentage of daily sales to Britt. For more information, see brittfest.org or call 541-779-0847.

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday delayed a vote on whether to sell the historic U.S. Hotel in Jacksonville after getting a second offer.

Commissioners tabled a decision on an order to sell the 1880s-era structure for $1.1 million to SOMAR LLC, affiliated with Somar Family Vineyards, after the Britt Music & Arts Festival submitted a last-minute offer of $1.15 million.

Both offers request a 60-day contingency period that would allow them to pull out of any deal. The building “has some structural issues,” county legal counsel Joel Benton told commissioners during the board’s weekly business session at the county administration building in Medford.

Somar asked the county to carry a note on the property for a minimum of five years, to be paid back with interest amounting to a guaranteed $283,000. Britt proposed a cash deal, but requested that the county pay its real estate agent 2.5%, according to Benton.

Commissioner Dave Dotterrer said he received numerous emails on the matter and seconded Commissioner Rick Dyer’s motion to table the matter. Commissioner Colleen Roberts agreed.

“It’s just so awkward,” Roberts said. “This building’s been for sale forever.”

Dyer said, “There’s things we need to know to make a fully informed decision. We have not had time to fully vet this.”

Editor’s note: The amount of the Britt offer has been corrected in the passage above. Benton provided the corrected amount after earlier providing an incorrect amount. Below is the Rogue Valley Times’ previous coverage announcing the pending sale.

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners might vote Wednesday to sell the historic U.S. Hotel in Jacksonville for $1.1 million, but Britt Festival supporters are asking the county to hold off so they can possibly make their own offer and use the building for offices and events.

The pending sale would be to SOMAR LLC, a grape grower and winery/tasting room business that lists a Medford address and is affiliated with Somar Family Vineyards, according to Oregon secretary of state records. The vineyards is operated by the Ramos family and lists a Jacksonville address, at 255 E. California St.

The hotel property is at 125 E. California Street. The two-story brick building, which dates to 1880, has a classic look with a wrap-around porch and balcony. It’s been for sale by the county going back at least as far as 2010, according to a 2015 Medford Mail Tribune story.

Requests for comment from Somar were not immediately returned late Tuesday.

Notice of the pending sale was made this week when the county posted its agenda for its Wednesday meeting, set for 9:30 a.m. in the courthouse auditorium, 10 S. Oakdale Ave.

Carolyn Kingsnorth, president of Historic Jacksonville Inc., sent an email Monday to commissioners and Danny Jordan, county administrator.

“Historic Jacksonville, Inc. has only just now learned of the County’s proposed sale of Jacksonville’s U.S. Hotel to SOMAR, LLC.,” Kingsnorth wrote. “We know and respect the Ramos family, but we were under the impression that the County had ongoing negotiations with Britt Festivals for the sale of the building. We are asking you to pause before signing any sales contract with SOMAR and allow Britt Festivals to make an offer!”

Kingsnorth said she acted after Abby McKee, president and CEO of Britt, requested that supporters lobby the board to delay the sale.

“Join me at the meeting … and share up to five minutes of testimony to the commissioners about why you would like them to pause before selling the building,” McKee wrote in an email provided by Kingsnorth. “Tell them that you would like Britt to have the opportunity to make an offer. I would like to emphasize that Britt is a valued part of the community, and Britt’s presence in downtown Jacksonville is highly desirable for the economy and quality of life in Jacksonville.”

The county meeting notice about the pending sale states that an order authorizing the board to execute a real estate purchase and sale agreement had been prepared. Supporting documentation states that the property was 0.19 acres and contained a historic commercial building of 10,147 square feet. Jordan recommended the sale, which would reduce the county’s liability and maintenance.

It’s not clear how the county came to own the hotel. The Southern Oregon Historical Society previously leased the location from the county.

An after-hours message requesting comment from Ron Kramer, executive director of the historical society, was not immediately returned. A message left Tuesday evening for Commissioner Dave Dotterrer, board vice chairman, was not immediately returned.