MILWAUKEE — The city of Milwaukee is now attempting to take ownership of Northridge Mall in an effort to demolish it faster, according to our partners at the Milwaukee Business Journal.
On Tuesday, city attorneys filed a motion with Milwaukee County Judge William Sosnay, asking him to transfer ownership from Black Spruce Enterprise Group, which bought the mall in 2008.
"This is about an attempt to speed this up, to have them [the city] have ownership, and then to knock it down. Because that's what everybody wants, in terms of the city," said the Business Journal's Mark Kass. "This is all about kind of finally moving this thing ahead."
According to the Journal, if the city owns Northridge, it can begin raising the money to tear it down. Demolition is estimated at $15 million.
WATCH: Milwaukee Fire Chief discusses the mall's unsafe conditions
For years, the city has grown more concerned about the building's accelerating state of disrepair. There have been multiple fires there, angering the fire department as it continues to send units into the vacant mall.
According to the Journal, Black Spruce isn't showing up in court or maintaining the security of the property despite a court order. And it faces mounting fines for not complying with the order.
Considering the company's lack of cooperation, Kass said he believes Judge Sosnay may be closer to transfering the city the building.
The parties are scheduled to return to court on March 17 to argue over the transfer.
Judge Sosnay said the directors of Black Spruce, who live in Canada and China, will be sanctioned if they don't show, according to the Journal.
