All qualified bidders are automatically registered for the auction.

Unable to attract qualified bidders, the tender was revised and offered again in 2005 with no success.

Then a building company charged that the $60 million reconstruction contract did not go to the lowest qualified bidder.

While most properties are available to any qualified bidder, the city is restricting the sale of the bath house to not-for-profit users.

In recent weeks, nearly 12 qualified bidders dropped out.

The firm will pick one as the opening bid by Tuesday, and an auction of the qualified bidders will take place the next day.

The partnership was one of six qualified bidders.

"We determined that Macklowe was the highest qualified bidder," he said.

Last time, Miller was the only qualified bidder.

After two unsuccessful attempts to find a qualified bidder, the state put its proposal out a third time in 1998.