Key Auto Group owner Anthony DiLorenzo is high bidder for McIntyre building in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH — City resident and developer Anthony DiLorenzo confirmed he is the high bidder in the auction to buy the Thomas J. McIntyre federal building property.

DiLorenzo, the owner and founder of Key Auto Group, posted the final high bid of $9 million early Thursday morning in his attempt to purchase and redevelop the 2.1-acre downtown property at 80 Daniel St. from the General Services Administration.

DiLorenzo, known for his financial support of University of New Hampshire athletics and his private island property in Portsmouth, said he was Bidder No. 1 in the McIntyre auction, submitting the last bid before the auction was closed. The GSA has not identified any of the four bidders.

“I live in Portsmouth and want to ensure the property is developed appropriately,” DiLorenzo said in response to questions about why he was motivated to buy the property. “Also, I didn’t want to watch it being developed by another developer for the next five years.”

DiLorenzo donation: UNH gets $4 million gift for Whittemore Center upgrades to boost hockey programs

GSA spokesperson Paul Hughes said Friday the online auction's closure is followed by a 30-day period “to allow GSA to determine if a high bid is acceptable. GSA can disclose the name of the high bidder once it determines the bid is acceptable."

DiLorenzo says 'due diligence' is needed at McIntyre site

DiLorenzo is a 1987 UNH graduate, and a nearly 40-year resident of the state. He was asked what he plans to do with the property if GSA accepts his bid.

DiLorenzo said “a significant amount of due diligence is necessary to determine the best uses for the property.” He said it's “premature” to make any decisions about the site located within a stone’s throw of Portsmouth’s popular and historic waterfront.

DiLorenzo confirmed, however, he has no plans to bring in any partners to work with him on the project.

DiLorenzo’s high bid ended the online auction, which came after the city had been trying for more than two decades to acquire the property.

Most recently, several versions of the City Council have tried for the past eight years to secure the McIntyre property for $1 through the government's Historic Monument Program.

GSA dropped Portsmouth from that program earlier this year when the city and its private development partner Redgate/Kane couldn’t agree on a redevelopment plan and the sides subsequently sued each other. Many residents have taken great interest over the years in what happens to the property.

DiLorenzo said, “The project will require consulting and collaborating with the city. ... I intend to have a lot of interaction with the city."

DiLorenzo, Key Auto Group have high profile in Seacoast

UNH announced in August that DiLorenzo donated $4 million toward renovations and upgrades at the Whittemore Center as part what is being billed as the UNH Hockey Renovation Project. The $16 million project follows a previously completed $14 million arena upgrade.

DiLorenzo has been active with UNH athletics as a corporate partner for years. His Key Auto Group includes 12 new and used car dealerships and collision centers in New Hampshire and more than 20 other locations around the country, the school stated when announcing his donation.

The Whittemore Center and the Hamel Recreation Center, which is connected to the arena, are now known collectively as the Key Auto Group Complex.

Asked about the $4 million gift to UNH, DiLorenzo said he “came to New Hampshire almost 40 years ago to attend UNH and fell in love with our great state. ... New Hampshire provided the opportunity to start a business, raise a family and become part of a community."

More: DiLorenzo gets approvals to build new home on private island off Portsmouth's Little Harbor Road

DiLorenzo made news in Portsmouth for purchasing a 12-acre island off Harbor Road, known as Belle Isle. In April 2022, he received approvals from the city to build a large new home on the property.

In 2018, DiLorenzo publicly thanked a Portsmouth police officer who rescued his son, then 2 years old, from beneath a 400-pound boulder.

How the McIntyre auction came to an end

The auction for the 2.1-acre property at 80 Daniel St. began June 20 and closed at 4:24 a.m. Friday after 24 hours passed without a new high bid being posted after DiLorenzo’s $9 million bid, according to the GSA.

DiLorenzo's final bid was the 25th made by four different bidders in the auction.

More Portsmouth development: Developer Mark McNabb buys Citizens Bank property. What will happen next?

Josh Soley, the president and CEO of Maine Realty Advisors in Portland, confirmed earlier this week his company was one of the bidders, but dropped out after seeing DiLorenzo’s high bid.

Developer William Binnie confirmed more than a week ago his company had bid on the McIntyre.

However, Binnie, president of the locally owned Carlisle Capital Corporation, did not make any bids in the last several days leading up to the close of the online auction.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Anthony DiLorenzo high bidder for McIntyre building in Portsmouth NH