Old Indy airport items to be auctioned

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Get ready to bid on a piece of Indianapolis history. On August 4, memorabilia from the old Indianapolis International Airport terminal building will go up for auction.

The auction is open to the public. Everything from old tables and chairs to an airline ticket counter could be yours if the price is right.

"There's thousands. Literally thousands of items that are going to be sold," said Gary Gibson of the Indianapolis Airport Authority.

Gibson is overseeing the auction which will be conducted by Indianapolis-based Commercial Liquidators of America.

Gibson said, "We're still planning most of the logistics right now, but right now I think what we're going to have is maybe four rings. The auctioneers call them rings, which is a different area within the building where specific things will be sold."

Big items, like these escalators, will be sold by sealed bid to companies that might have a need for them. That part of the auction process is set to begin July 6. Any money raised by the sale will go to help ease a $15-million projected revenue shortfall at the new terminal.

"The airport authority gets the money. The auctioneer gets a fee for his services and we get all the rest," said Gibson.

Gibson said the Airport Authority hopes to make at least $500,000 from the auction. The auction is scheduled to be finished in one day, but it could end up going a second day if there's enough interest and enough items.

The office tower located inside the old terminal is not a part of the auction nor is the land or terminal buildings.