Despite the chill that has descended over negotiations with the owner of the old King County Public Health Building on Auburn Avenue North, City leaders still hope to persuade King County to lease it for a small sum.

Recently, King County put the Carnegie building up for sale on the open market. Asking price — about $620,000.

A bit pricier than what the City is offering to lease it for — one buck.

“We’re not out of it,” said Michael Hursh, the City of Auburn’s community services director. “We are actively petitioning for its preservation.”

The City in its push to lease the building has consistently reminded county leaders why Andrew Carnegie built and donated it in the first place, and what he intended it to stay in perpetuity — a general community benefit.

The building started out in 1937 as the Auburn Post Office. Auburn wants King County to remember how much the Postal Service sold it for in 1963 — that same buck.

Auburn wants the same deal. King County isn’t interested.

“We even doubled the price to $2 a year. And they refused,” said Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis.

“King County has listed the property and is interested in top dollar,” Hursh said. “The City continues to hold its stance that the property should be kept with its original purpose of a general community benefit and the best use for the taxpayer.”

Hursh said City leaders leaders have identified two unnamed potential users and are working on their behalf.

City leaders have proposed several purposes for the building in the last five years — an arts co-op with some kind of artistic display and training space, and a business incubator to spur economic development.

“At the moment, we have an interested, active business partner that would be a really essential dual use,” Hursh said. “We will have to see what the County decides.”

“We haven’t abandoned our hopes of getting it at all,” Lewis said. “The county doesn’t feel any duty or obligation. To them, it’s just another asset to be disposed of.”