A Janesville City Council member says the city might be headed for court in its quest to buy out the blighted former General Motors site.
City council member Heather Miller tells Big Radio she characterizes the $3.5-million purchase offer the council authorized Monday as the final stage before the city would either reach a deal with GM site owner Commercial Development — or take the owner to court.
As of late Monday, Commercial Development had not agreed to the offer the city is now finalizing.
The city is now poised to offer $3.5 million in its bid to force an eminent domain buyout of the condemned, former GM and JATCO sites. The city also is offering $356,000 for two parcels next to the GM plant that are owned by local entities — and it’s already got agreements to buy two other, smaller properties next to the GM site, including the Zoxx Social Club property at 411 S. Jackson St.
The city wants ownership of the GM sites and adjacent land to clean up known industrial soil contamination, and to eventually redevelop some of the parcels with a mix of industry, commercial properties and housing. Cleanup work alone could cost tens of millions of dollars, and would require major grant funding, but the city cannot plan any of that work until it has ownership control of the site.
Miller says the city will know within a month whether Commercial Development accepts the offers. If not, the city would seek a judge’s ruling on a sale price.
If the city goes to court, officials have said that triggers statutory ownership by the city. It could take months or longer for the city to actually close on the GM property, and it’s not guaranteed that a judge or Commercial Development would ultimately agree to the current, $3.5-million offer.
