Hayden

TECUMSEH — After nearly four years of working with the city to redevelop the Hayden-Ford Mill Building, Old Mill Holdings LLC has let its purchase agreement for the property expire due to environmental concerns.

Meanwhile, the city is actively seeking new bids for the site.

Old Mill Holdings let its 2021 $100,000 purchase agreement with the city for the former Tecumseh Community Center expire March 1 due to environmental concerns related to the black wood flooring in the building’s basement that was kept during the building’s renovation 25 years ago.

Old Mill Holdings is affiliated with a group from Grand River Brewery in Jackson and Cherry Creek Winery near Cement City, which opened the Doll n’ Burgers restaurants in Tecumseh and Jackson.

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Old Mill Holdings had planned to redevelop the Hayden-Ford Mill Building on East Chicago Boulevard next to Globe Mill Pond into a restaurant similar to Zehnder’s or the Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth.

A plastic barrier was placed over the black wood flooring during the renovation and 4 to 5 inches of concrete was poured over the barrier.

The old adhesives that were used broke down over time and released gases. When Old Mill Holding’s environmental consultant drilled through the concrete slab, they found gases present.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy provided the city with several options to consider including sealing the concrete with an additional vapor barrier, installing a new HVAC system with an air exchanger and removing the flooring.

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The city still wants to move the Hayden Ford Mill building project forward and in a news release on its website said it “remains hopeful that Old Mill Holdings (Grand River Brewing) will submit an updated proposal based on their new findings.”

A city Facebook post said the city is actively soliciting bids from developers for the purchase, lease or redevelopment of the city-owned building. The requests for proposal are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 19.