Northridge Mall: Milwaukee's demolition plans held up in appeals
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee will not take over the old Northridge Mall property – at least not now.
City leaders want to tear it down for new development, but a judge said that can't happen yet; he's waiting for a Court of Appeals ruling on whether it needs to be demolished.
"The court is in no way trying to overstep its bounds here or to intercede in any way that impacts the appeal," said Judge William Sosnay. "The court is not going to take that action at this time."
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The blighted property, which has caused years of trouble like break-ins and fires, remains the center of a dispute. Friday morning, attorneys from the city and Black Spruce Enterprises once again met in court.
"The city stands ready and willing to raze the properties," said Odalo Ohiku, a city attorney.
Black Spruce, which owns most of the property, is appealing a demolition order. It originally bought the old mall in 2008 with hopes of turning it into an ethanol plant.
Now, Black Spruce is trying to sell the property to Phoenix Investors, but the city is opposed. The potential buyers gave FOX6 News a look inside earlier this month – saying they're paying to keep it safe with new fences, cameras and 24/7 security.
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"This matter has gone on too long," Sosnay said. "I will do everything I can to bring it to some conclusion."
As the case makes its way through the system, what happens next to the old Northridge Mall stays in limbo.
All the players will be back in court in late June. The city said it is prepared to demolish the old Boston Store portion of the mall sometime next month.