Judge orders Sundberg Building to be demolished

MARQUETTE — The fate of the Sundberg Building in Downtown Negaunee was decided Monday inside a Marquette County courtroom. Building owners Jim and Ann Kantola filed an injunction earlier this month to delay demolition of the facility until the spring.

The City of Negaunee argued that removing the structure is long overdue. Marquette County Building Official and Codes Manager Paul Knox deemed the structure needed to come down immediately almost a year ago.

The Kantolas wanted to delay the building demolition because the price tag associated with it, approximately $275,000, would be a big financial blow for them. Jim Kantola argued that taking the building down next year would save them more than $100,000.

“Financial hardship is everything. This is a lot of money,” said Kantola. “This is a lot of money to the city and it’s a lot of money to us. We’re just normal folks working hard; $115,000 is a tremendous amount of money.”

In the end, Mazzuchi ruled in favor of the City of Negaunee, which will now move forward with the demolition. Back in July, the Kantolas announced a plan to construct a brewery inside the Sundberg Building.