The site is better known as the Clinton Valley Center mental health facility. The property had sat vacant after the state abandoned the large brick facilities many years ago, and they were torn down amid resident protest in mid-2000.

Lasseigne tells GlobeSt.com the land has not been taxed for more than 100 years.

"It's great to get the site back on the tax rolls. It will be a good economic boost to the city," she says.Lasseigne adds developer Eltel LLC of Southfield plans to build a technology park and 670 housing units on the site. The firm is led by principals Douglas Bock and Walter Cohen, she notes.

The city only had until Jan. 31 to buy the property, after missing a deadline last year. The city council turned down three bids for the project in July 2000.

Oakland County was given the opportunity to buy the land, but instead gavePontiac another chance and extended the purchase deadline for the city.After March 1, the state was prepared to sell the land on the open market.Pontiac purchased the parcel using part of a sale of $40 million in bondsfor the new developments. About $10 million will also go to fundinfrastructure for a new 600,000-sf facility at General Motor Corp.'sCenterpointe campus.The county already bought 88 acres of vacant land north of the CVC site forapproximately $880,000.Oakland County Executive Brooks Patterson says the county is rapidly running out of room to expand on its current 396-acre site, north of the former CVC property.