The city of Jackson is facing a lawsuit over the old Metrocenter Mall.Retro Metro, which owns the building, has filed a discrimination complaint against the city of Jackson, the Jackson City Council and Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba.Retro Metro said the city violated the terms of the lease agreement when the council voted to terminate the lease agreement with them.Back in July, the Jackson City Council voted to terminate the lease after complaints from city employees who worked inside Metrocenter Mall, where they said there was mold, no air conditioning and numerous potholes outside the building.Retro Metro claims the city has not made the agreed-upon lease payments and has been delinquent since August.The company accuses the city of racial discrimination.”It is unacceptable that any city, much less one that is 80% African American, take from minority owned businesses and give to WHITE owned business,” former Circuit Court Judge Malcolm Harrison, Retro Metro’s attorney, said in a statement. “City officials have an obligation to stop discrimination, not promote it. We are asking the federal court to reinstate the city’s lease agreement with Retro Metro.”A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said they do not comment on pending litigation.
The city of Jackson is facing a lawsuit over the old Metrocenter Mall.
Retro Metro, which owns the building, has filed a discrimination complaint against the city of Jackson, the Jackson City Council and Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba.
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Retro Metro said the city violated the terms of the lease agreement when the council voted to terminate the lease agreement with them.
Back in July, the Jackson City Council voted to terminate the lease after complaints from city employees who worked inside Metrocenter Mall, where they said there was mold, no air conditioning and numerous potholes outside the building.
Retro Metro claims the city has not made the agreed-upon lease payments and has been delinquent since August.
The company accuses the city of racial discrimination.
“It is unacceptable that any city, much less one that is 80% African American, take from minority owned businesses and give to WHITE owned business,” former Circuit Court Judge Malcolm Harrison, Retro Metro’s attorney, said in a statement. “City officials have an obligation to stop discrimination, not promote it. We are asking the federal court to reinstate the city’s lease agreement with Retro Metro.”
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said they do not comment on pending litigation.