Going Once: a 28-story courthouse, a library on wheels and a power plant turbine

Every week, governments sell off things they don't need anymore. Most of it is pickup trucks and office chairs. This column is for the rest.

Here are five lots from public agencies that are open for bids right now, plus one that already sold. Anyone can bid on all of them.

A 28-story courthouse

Miami-Dade County is selling its historic courthouse at 73 W. Flagler Street, a full city block in downtown Miami and one of the most recognizable buildings on the city's skyline. It has about 265,000 square feet across 28 stories. Bidding opens at $35.41 million, and this is not a click-and-pay sale: bidders have to send in a bid form and a deposit by wire before they can even tour the building. No bids yet as of November 4. Bidding closes November 12.

A library on wheels

Dayton Metro Library is retiring its 34-foot bookmobile, built on a 2005 Freightliner chassis, with built-in shelves, wood cabinets, a service counter, rooftop air conditioning and a 10kW diesel generator. The library suggests it could become a mobile office, classroom or clinic. It needs tires and batteries. One bid so far, at $5,100. Bidding closes November 11.

A power plant turbine

Santa Clara shut down its CoGen power plant and is selling a 501-KB5 gas turbine that has logged more than 200,000 operating hours. This isn't one you hitch to the truck: the city supplies the contractor to take it apart, and the buyer works out the logistics with the city. It opens at $50,000 and had no bids as of November 4. Bidding closes November 12.

A village Humvee

The Village of Cambria, Illinois, is selling a 1991 AM General Humvee with 29,307 miles, an eight-cylinder diesel, four-wheel drive and an Illinois title. It's the busiest lot in this week's column: 12 bids, at $4,200 on November 4. Bidding runs until December 1.

An empty lot, sold in two rounds

Hennepin County is selling a vacant 0.14-acre residential lot at 3738 Lyndale Ave N in Minneapolis. First it gets 30 days at its estimated market value, $20,000. If nobody bids, a 10-day sale opens at $5,780.18, which covers the back taxes, penalties and costs owed on it. The county makes no promise that it's buildable. The first round closes December 2.

Already sold: LSU's basketball court

Louisiana State Surplus sold the men's and women's basketball court floor from LSU's Maravich Assembly Center. Bidding opened at $2,000. On October 31 it closed at $29,000 after 60 bids.

Prices for the open lots are as of November 4 and will have moved. Each seller sets its own terms and pickup rules, so read the listing before you bid.