General Electric ranks second behind Exxon Mobil in world market capitalization. Its 2006 revenue was $163.4 billion.

The American multi-national conglomerate has a 44-acre tract of land adjacent to its local plant that the city of Decatur wants and needs to buy. Investors and land speculators probably want the site, also.

The city is prepared to offer $1.8 million for the site that is adjacent to Point Mallard Park. But GE executives say they plan to sell the choice real estate to the highest bidder.

Hopefully, the successful bidder will be the city because Decatur has so little riverfront left for public use.

Decades ago, city leaders determined that industrializing the riverfront was the key to Decatur's future . GE took its place along the river with other Fortune 500 companies in 1973.

The company has been a good citizen of Decatur for 34 years and has 1,390 employees at the refrigerator plant.

Today, the city is hard pressed to find riverfront land for other purposes. This 44-acre site is perfect for many uses. Having it in the city's inventory is a way to properly guide its eventual development.

Hopefully, GE will take the property off the market and instead negotiate a favorable price for the city. It can afford a sweetheart deal.

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