Demolition Begins at 201 Robbins St. in Owosso to Remove Long-Vacant Cold Storage Building

February 12, 2026

From Left to Right: Brent Jones, Vice President of SEDP; Rob Teich, Mayor of the City of Owosso; Julie Sorenson, Shiawassee County Treasurer and Chair of the Shiawassee County Land Bank Authority Board; Brian Boggs, Shiawassee County Administrator; Eric Morris, Shiawassee County Land Bank Authority Legal Counsel; Greg Brodeur, Chair of Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners and Shiawassee County Land Bank Authority Member; Jerry Haber, Mayor Pro-Tem of the City of Owosso; and Nathan Henne, Cit

OWOSSO, Mich. — The Shiawassee County Land Bank Authority, in cooperation with the City of Owosso and property owner Roberto Larrivey, announced that demolition of the former cold storage structure at 201 Robbins St. in the City of Owosso began February 5, 2026.

“The building has been long out of use and had become an ongoing community concern” said Board of Commissioners Chair and Land Bank Board Member Greg Brodeur. Due to its prolonged vacancy, the property was considered an attractive nuisance, with repeated incidents including windows being destroyed and other activity associated with trespassing and safety risks.

“Removing long-vacant structures like this is an important step in protecting public safety and supporting reinvestment,” said Justin Horvath, President/CEO of the Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership, who serves as Land Bank staff. “We’re grateful to be working alongside the City of Owosso and the property owner to address a site that has seen repeated issues and had become a liability for the neighborhood.”

“This demolition is a practical blight elimination project that will reduce hazards and improve quality of life for residents nearby,” said Julie Sorenson, Shiawassee County Treasurer and Chair of the Shiawassee County Land Bank Authority Board. “The State Land Bank Authority’s Blight Elimination Program funding makes it possible for communities like ours to take action on properties that have been difficult to resolve for years.

The project is funded through the Blight Elimination Program of the Michigan State Land Bank Authority, supporting local efforts to address deteriorated and unsafe structures. The Robbins St project is funded in the amount of $129,800 and is one of five blight remediation projects being managed by the Shiawassee County Land Bank for the current funding round, worth a total of $655,170. The Blight Elimination Program has funded over $1M of work in Shiawassee County across all funding rounds.