The former American Motors Corp. headquarters was a hub of Detroit innovation for more than eight decades, but it only took three years for the complex to turn into a dumping ground, Christine MacDonald reports in The Detroit News.
Neighbors fear the new owner is stripping metals from the complex and plans to leave the mess for taxpayers to clean up. The facility is eligible for foreclosure — and government ownership — because taxes haven't been paid in three years.
The owner, a scrap hauler convicted in 2004 of running a chop shop, owes $930,000 in taxes. He denies he's scrapping and says he has a federal grant to convert the building into a home for autistic children. He provided few details on the grant to The Detroit News during a brief interview before hanging up.
