The former Tucker Cellars winery property will return to the market after the Sunnyside City Council voted to declare the site surplus during its April 28 meeting.
Located at 70 Ray Road, the 2.72-acre property includes a 4,515-square-foot industrial building constructed in 1978.
The city purchased the site in September 2022 for $500,000 as a potential solution to avoid the high costs of drilling a new well for nearby Sunnyview Park—an effort that had been projected to exceed $1 million.
Since acquiring the property, the city has leased the building on a month-to-month basis for $1,000.
An appraisal conducted in February 2025 by CBRE Inc. valued the property at $540,000 “as is,” with $245,000 attributed to surplus land value.
City officials had considered several other uses for the property, including converting it into a police substation or a training and residency site for the fire department. However, none of those plans materialized.
“We’re in a position now where, A, we need the funds from the sale of the property,” said Mayor Dean Broersma during the meeting. “Every department where that fund is going to be allocated is going to need that little injection of cash. But also, even if we keep the property, it’s probably going to be 20 years before we’re able to follow that dream and develop that fire station, which is really discouraging on the one hand, because oh boy, I’d sure like to see that happen here.”
The city now plans to partner with a commercial broker to list the property for sale.
Officials said the city intends to retain the associated water rights to continue serving the park’s facilities.
