Former Northridge Mall owner sues Milwaukee to seek overturn of city demolition order

The former Northridge Mall's owner is suing the City of Milwaukee to appeal an order that the building be demolished.

U.S. Black Spruce Enterprise Group Inc. filed the suit in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, according to online court records. That court action includes a request for a restraining order against the city.

The suit was expected after the city Standards and Appeals Commission in July ruled that the demolition order meets the city's criteria for being reasonable.

A raze order can be issued when the estimated cost of repairs exceeds 50% of a building's value.

The preliminary repair cost estimate is $6 million, according to the Department of Neighborhood Services. The building's assessed value is just over $81,000.

The commission made its ruling after rejecting an argument from Northridge's owner, U.S. Black Spruce Enterprise Group Inc., that it has broader authority to consider whether all the repairs demanded by the city are necessary — and whether the assessed value of the former mall is too low.

Black Spruce, a Chinese investors group, wants to create a trade mart for Chinese companies to sell clothing, toys, furniture and other items to U.S. retailers.

In the lawsuit, Black Spruce says it can rebut the city's presumption that the repair costs are unreasonable.

It also said the Standards and Appeals Commission refused to review evidence supporting that point.

City officials have said they've seen no progress on pursuing those plans since the former mall was sold in 2008. 

The Department of Neighborhood Services order, issued in April, demands Black Spruce demolish the 900,000-square-foot building because it's dilapidated and a threat to public safety. 

City building inspectors have repeatedly issued orders over the past year for Black Spruce to make repairs at Northridge after people have broken into the mall — some of them removing items to sell for scrap.

People illegally entering the property are putting themselves at risk, city officials say. And the mall's dilapidated state also raises concerns about asbestos exposure.

In July, a Milwaukee man hired by Black Spruce to clean and fix up the mall died when he touched a high-voltage transformer on the Northridge property and was electrocuted.

Once demolished, the land beneath the building and its parking lots, totaling around 100 acres north of West Brown Deer Road and west of North 76th Street, could be used for light industrial building or other new development.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook