GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WZZM) -- An educational group is suing Steelcase over a failed plan to purchase the Pyramid building in Gaines Township. The Pyramid building was later bought by a developer with plans to house a data center for the Switch Company.
The Education Campus Investors, ECI, planned to buy the Pyramid from Steelcase and turn it into an educational facility focused on science and technology. According to a lawsuit filed in Kent County court on Wednesday, Nov. 18, the original purchase price was $7.5 million. But, after ECI found infrastructure problems with the Pyramid, the purchase price went down to $3 million.
The suit alleges Steelcase secretly negotiated to sell the property to Norman Properties, while it still had a purchase agreement with ECI.
In the lawsuit, ECI claims it spent over one million dollars surveying, studying, and making plans for redeveloping the Pyramid. It is asking Steelcase, and Colliers International, a real estate company, to sell the building to ECI. The suit also asks for more than $25,000 dollars in damages.
Norman Properties bought the Pyramid property in the spring of 2015. The Switch Company announced earlier this week, it plans to develop a data center on the property. The Supernap data center would be a $5 billion dollar development.
In the lawsuit, ECI alleges it's leaders were led to believe their sale would go through, until Steelcase completed the deal with Norman, days before ECI was supposed to close on it's purchase.
