I doubt there is any fraud involved. This auction was open to anyone crazy enough to submit a bid. 4 bids were submitted. As mentioned, the reason the city is dumping it is the $1.5 million yearly maintenance bill
There was a lawsuit filed by a local black attorney to halt the sale. The judge tossed that out yesterday. This guy was claiming he was discriminated against
Despite the fact that the Pontiac city officials conducting the sale are
all black. This guy had a purchase agreement with the city 2 years ago for $17 million and was going to turn it into a "racino" (horse track and casino). But he never came up with
any cash and the deadline on his PA expired a year or more ago. Why didn't he submit a bid on the current auction if he still wanted to buy it ....
Keeping in mind the old real estate adage: location, location, location - the Pontiac Silverdome is located in the middle of one of the worst ghetto/gang areas in the country. I wouldn't cross the street without being armed. The city of Pontiac is managed by a state-appointed emergency financial officer because they've been incapable of doing it themselves. The unemployment rate is over 35%. Half of the city's schools are slated to be closed because they have a 20,000-student capacity but only 7500 students. None of this is new. Pontiac has been like this for many, many years