Field of four vying for Sawyer’s Creek

The field is down to four parties that are vying to become the next owner of Sawyer’s Creek, located south of Hannibal on Missouri 79.
David Prouhet of the Riverbend Capital Group, which is marketing the property, reported last week having received inquiries from nine parties. How was the field reduced?
“They self-eliminated,” he said. “What we had before were people that had expressed interest, but now what we have are solid parties. They made serious statements.”
Prouhet declined to identify any of the four finalists.
According to Prouhet, the process of interviewing the finalists will begin next week. Participating in the interview process will be a local panel consisting of Beau Hicks, executive director of the Hannibal Convention and Visitors Bureau; Terry Sampson, executive director of the Hannibal Area Chamber of Commerce; Anne Vieira, vice president (president-elect) of the Twin Pikes Family YMCA; Linda Coleberd, Mark Twain Cave owner; and Jim Behrens, RCS Bank president.
“A number of them don’t have a lot of information (regarding the bids) at this point,” said Prouhet.
Prouhet reports that the interviews will be scattered over the next two weeks.
The initial deadline to submit bids was June 15, but at the request of one party a 10-day extension was granted.
The property is currently owned by Dwayne Bentrup, who has filed for bankruptcy.
Sawyer’s Creek, which initially opened in 1989, has remained closed thus far in 2009.