The Butler Redevelopment Authority might be able to sell a vacant piece of prime Main Street property and remove the mortgage it has carried for nearly 20 years.

Authority officials said Thursday that NextTier Bank is considering forgiving its mortgage of a little more than $100,000 on the lot at the corner of South Main Street and West Cunningham Street, where the Wishing Well card store was once located.

If the bank forgives the mortgage and releases the property, the authority would sell it and return the proceeds to the bank, officials said.

Authority board member Brian McCafferty said the property occupies a prime location on Main Street, but its value is less than what the authority owes on it.

Selling it would remove the property and mortgage from the authority's books, he said.

Officials said an interested buyer approached the authority about the lot. Any offer less than the amount owed would have to be approved by the bank, officials said.

The authority purchased the property and the adjacent Pepper's Flowers shop, which is vacant, in the early 2000s after borrowing an interest-only loan.