Contributing Writer
Before the Albion City Council voted May 4 to acquire the fire-damaged building at 100 S. Superior St., city leaders, staff members, preservation advocates, and residents spent more than an hour in a study session weighing a decision that carried a hard deadline — accept the $1 transfer from the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority by May 5, or the building would face demolition under a federally funded blight elimination program.
City Attorney Cullen Harkness told council he had consulted environmental attorneys regarding the proposed acquisition and said they strongly advised against taking ownership of the building without a Phase 2 environmental assessment…