Butler Indiana Demolition Deal Falls Through

Butler, Indiana nearly snagged nearly $2.4 million in READI funding to demolish a shuttered aluminum foundry — but a last-minute bait-and-switch by property owner Stan Pate, who demanded $750K just days before the deadline, derailed the deal. With Indiana law forcing competitive bidding, the city couldn’t guarantee the demolition contract, forcing Pate to pull his offer. Mayor Mike Hartman called it a crushing blow after nearly finishing the project. Now, the city’s scrambling — exploring code violations, eminent domain, and legal avenues to recover $70K in consultant costs — while also eyeing a Lilly Endowment grant, despite past hesitation to avoid double-dipping. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/5cbf29dbe754c378