Adrian, MI – The Lenawee County Land Bank held a special meeting earlier this week to discuss possible action on a grant application for state funding to do demolition work on three buildings on North Winter Street…including the old Adrian Daily Telegram Building.
The business group who purchased the properties has been working on a grant application for $1 million dollars of American Rescue Plan Act dollars dedicated to blight clean-up.
The building owners initially were under the impression that they were to apply directly through the State of Michigan, but have recently become aware that they need the local Land Bank to apply on their behalf. In the Special Meeting called Tuesday, the Land Bank heard the opinion of corporate counsel John Gillooly and County Administrator Kim Murphy.
They both recommended that the land bank not do the application because of potential liability which would be all on the shoulders of the Land Bank. Murphy said that the County’s current insurance would not cover projects undertaken on private property.
The Land Bank did not make a motion on the recommendation…thus killing the resolution on the floor. Kirk Valentine, one of the representatives of the ownership group, told WLEN News that he has no idea what the next step will be for the Winter Street project. He said that they have exhausted all present options.
He said that there is other state funding available, but they all have a workforce housing element…and that is not the type of project they are going to do on the properties. The group is also working to remove contaminated soil from the site.
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