AIKEN --- After four years on the market, the empty, cavernous building in the Willow Run Industrial Park could soon find a buyer.

Dastco International LLC, a development company based in Florida, approached the Aiken Corp. about purchasing the nearly 30,000-square-foot speculative building and the six lots surrounding it for possible use as a sports center.

The building and the industrial park, situated at Beaufort Street and Willow Run Road, is owned by the Aiken Corp., a nonprofit quasi-government entity.

Wade Brodie, the chairman of the Aiken Corp, which owns the building and park, said the company has 90 days left on a 120-day option to decide whether to buy the property.

"Since we gave that option, we've had several other companies contact us," Mr. Brodie said.

Local real estate agent Neil Farfour, who represents Dastco International, said his clients like the area and are trying to help develop jobs to bring people to Aiken.

The building has had several interested prospects over the years that nearly came to fruition.

Last year, the Aiken Corp. had been in talks with the South Carolina National Guard about bringing a training facility to Aiken.

The city's board of zoning appeals helped pave the way by granting the corporation a special exception to sell the building and the 8.35-acre site to a local developer who had then planned to lease the building and the land to the Guard.

Everything was on track with the project until November. The Aiken Corp. had even secured a letter of credit from Security Federal to upgrade the water line to the building.

But, according to city officials, the political tide turned, and the project ended up going to another part of the state.

The speculative building has been empty and on the market since it was built in 2003, which coincided with the market experiencing a downturn in industrial development.

But the current economic climate felt across the rest of country hasn't deterred companies such as Dastco International from seeing possibilities in Aiken.

"Even though we've had a slowdown, we're not at all like the rest of the country," City Manager Roger LeDuc said. "Our economy is still good, and people are wanting and still willing to invest in our area."

The facility has had a steady stream of interested suitors, who, even though they don't buy, have found other properties in the community to purchase.

"The state department of commerce tells us if you don't have a spec building to show, you probably lose about 80 percent of the prospects that come and look at your community," Mr. Brodie said.