Time’s Up for Sugar Loaf?

The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports that Cleveland Township officials this week plan to issue a citation against the owner of the decaying Sugar Loaf Resort:

The citation will be filed with 86th District Court, which will schedule a hearing to determine whether the township can issue one ongoing citation, or if a new citation must be issued every day the property remains in violation, said township Supervisor Tim Stein.

The property is owned by Sweet Bread LLC, the company that plans to develop a new resort at the site. If the company takes no action to demolish it within 30 days after the citation is issued, it will be fined $500 per day for each day it violates a blight elimination ordinance enacted by the township early this year.

Sweet Bread is owned by Jeff Katofsky, who acquired Sugar Loaf in 2016 and says he plans to invest $134 million to build a new resort. A timeline submitted by the company in April had demolition of the building starting on June 1. When the work wasn’t started the township board in July voted to take action.

When contacted Tuesday, Katofsky said he has not heard from the township since receiving a letter from Stein in late June. Katofsky responded to the letter, writing that work has been delayed by COVID-19, but the company still planned to move ahead on the resort.

More at the Record-Eagle & dig deeper into the Sugar Loaf story on Leelanau.com.