MARQUETTE -- It's been pegged an eyesore. Some even say it's haunted. But even with the ghostly past of the Marquette Orphanage building, city officials said its future is scarier. Falling bricks, broken windows and shaky stairwells remain hazardous.

"It is under private property ownership, and as a local government, our primary function is to make sure that it's a safe situation," said Director of Planning and Development Dennis Stachewicz.

Stachewicz says their hands are tied. For the last two years, the building's current owner, Roger Rinne, has refused to make repairs. Mortgage holders foreclosed on it last year at a price of nearly $995,000.

"Mr. Rinne has until April to redeem it; if he doesn't redeem it, then all titled right and interest would then go on to the party that foreclosed their mortgage," said attorney Ron Keefe.

Many of our Facebook viewers said they just don't get the endless battle. Brian Beckus wrote, "Economic feasibility as well as the legalities make this a common sense decision by the people to just tear it down and make it a green space for all."

It's not as easy as it sounds, officials said.

"If the city went ahead and did the repairs themselves and paid for that and sent the bill to Mr. Rinne, I imagine we would not hold our breath looking for payment," Keefe said.

Tearing down the orphanage could mean nearly a million dollars in costs for the city.

"The economics have just never been there for people interested in the property to be able to purchase the property, conduct a costly renovation or a tear down and a rebuild and then try and make some profit out of it because economics is about profit," Stachewicz said.