The demolition of the of the skeletal structures of what was to be the Village at Henderson Point may be decided on January 15. Judge Chris Schmidt has given attorneys for Harrison County and the owner until that date to present further written arguments.
Harrison County District Three Supervisor Marlin Ladner said that this issue has been a problem for sometime, dating back to before Hurricane Katrina.
“Hopefully the judge will see fit to rule in favor of the Board of Supervisors because it’s a derelict building,” said Ladner.
“This issue has been going on since before Katrina, but it was especially aggravating after Katrina. It’s a derelict building.”
“We have made every effort to deal with this building, to have it completed or demolished,” said Ladner.
Ladner expressed concern that it will be difficult to complete the building at this point because of new federal flood guidelines.
Harrison County ordered the demolition of the three structures in varied development in 2016, but the owner is fighting the demolition.
Robert Mack of Staten Island, N.Y. and owner of the property, is fighting the order on the grounds that Harrison County used the wrong state law in its proceedings and did not prove that the property was blighted.
Records show that Mack acquired the property in 2008 after the original developer could not complete the project.
His attorney said that the owner wanted to complete the project, but he couldn’t get a building permit.
Tim Holleman, attorney for Harrison County, said that it would be difficult for the owner to obtain a permit because the structures do not conform to current elevation requirements.
Complaints from neighbors included reports of teenagers hanging out around the structures and the increase in rodents in the area.
