Committee delays vote on $2.6 million Mammoth Building demolition after queries about ownership and prior work

A proposed $2.6 million contract to abate and alter the Mammoth Building on Grand River drew questions from council members and public commenters and was deferred for further review.

Lawan Counts, group executive for building construction and operations, told the committee the city intends to demolish the entire structure and that the contract is listed as an alteration to take the building to grade; any basement removals would be bid separately. Counts said the demolition effort also includes a bridge that spans Grand River and that removing the structure could leave the bridge in a cantilevered state unless addressed as part of the project.

The administration’s representative said the demolition follows a court order. Counts said the city expects to file for reimbursement from the owner after demolition. Council member Mary Waters and others expressed concern that recent owners had been investing in the property and that the council needed clearer documentation about the litigation and whether the owners complied with prior requirements. Waters asked for more information and more time to contact the owners and the law department.

After discussion the committee voted to bring back the Mammoth Building item in two weeks for additional details from the law department and the blight team.

Clarifying details recorded at the hearing: the work presented would remove the building to grade; the contract was described as an alteration with separate bidding possible for basement abatement; city staff said a court order requires demolition and the city intends to seek reimbursement from the owner through the court; the $2.6 million contract listed the contractor Hamrich (Detroit) and included work on the bridge over Grand River.