WATERFORD, Mich. – Summit Place Mall in Waterford will soon be a thing of the past.
There have been ongoing issues with the 74-acre eyesore for years. The basement is full of water, drains are collapsing and the roof is full of holes.
The Waterford Fire Department deemed the mall too dangerous to enter.
Demolition of the mall could begin as early as May. The property owners and potential buyer wanted a 120-day extension, but the City Council wasn't buying it.
With mounting public pressure, the Waterford Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously to begin the demolition of the mall.
"I have to answer to these people," Township Supervisor Gary Wall said. "I've got to start telling them something that's fact-based. I've got to give them something to sink their teeth into besides another 90 days, another 120 days, another 360 days. We just go on and on and on."
The property owner and prospective buyer wanted more time and said delays were due in part to Brownfield tax credits they were hoping to receive.
"I pray for your better judgment that we not be in an adversarial position over this then when 120 days, after all that's elapsed, could get us to exactly where we want to go," the lawyer said.
People who live near Summit Place Mall said they've heard this before.
"We are sick and tired of hearing excuses for the last several years," resident Brent Bott said. "We were looking at pushing this down the road for much further, potentially a year and a half."
The board agreed, and, following their vote, the owner would only say he's disappointed.
"There's a lot of information on the record," he said. "We're not in a position to comment."
This is the first step toward getting rid of the eyesore.
"The biggest applause came when they asked if they'd like a vacant field there, and the people said, 'Yeah. We'd love a vacant field there,'" Wall said.
The cost to demolish the site is around $4 million, and the property owner is on the hook.
If they're able to find a buyer before then, the board could reverse Tuesday night's decision.