By ANDREA POTEET
Sunday Times Newspapers
ALLEN PARK – The city is on the hunt for a new marketer for its failed movie studio property after Lormax Stern pulled out of its agreement to market the property.
City Administrator John Zech said Tuesday that officials from the West Bloomfield Township-based developer recently told the city they no longer wish to represent the property. The company agreed in August 2011 to market the property at no cost to the city other than commission from tenants they brought to the city.
But the deal brought controversy from the beginning, with some councilors wondering if hiring a company with interests in Fairlane Green shopping Center, also in Allen Park, was wise.
Lormax Stern was one of three companies that sold a 270,000-square-foot section of the property to Cole Real Estate Investments of Phoenix for $47 million in March.
Some councilors also voiced concerns that the most recent tenant, Crossfit Downriver, was brought to the site by Building Official Dave Boomer, but because of their contract with Lormax Stern, the city paid a fee to the developer for the find.
That led some councilors to question whether an outside marketer was necessary. Zech said the city needs an outside marketer with whom clients who may not know Allen Park are already familiar.
“We need to get people out there talking up Allen Park instead of, ‘Oh, don’t even think about Allen Park, they’ve got a lot of problems,’” Zech said. “We need cheerleaders for Allen Park.”
Councilors passed a resolution to seek proposals for another developer for the site.