A young New York attorney has emerged as a protector of the Detroit Masonic Temple.
From today's Detroit News:
From today's Detroit News:
If ever the world’s largest Masonic Temple needed a crusading knight to fend off bill collectors and lawyers, that time is now.
From the east comes a third-generation Mason, originally from Farmington Hills. When New York City attorney Bradley Dizik read in April the historic Cass Corridor institution was in tax foreclosure, he took it as a call to arms. Dizik is helping slay the temple’s debt and vanquish a lawsuit. He’s playing a major role in the quest to return the temple as a significant entertainment venue, and trumpet the Masonic brilliance of the 1,037-room facility.
“I am a protector of the temple,” said Dizik, who just turned 30. “My job is to screen people. No more bad actors will be allowed to enter.” Since May, he has held the title of special adviser to the Masonic Temple’s board of trustees.
Dizik isn’t the only who has come to the temple’s aid since The Detroit News revealed six months ago the facility owed Wayne County $142,000 in back taxes. It faced being sold at the annual auction of foreclosed properties. Bidding for the 14-story Gothic structure, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, would have started at $160,000. Out of the blue, Detroit-born rocker Jack White stepped forward and paid the tax bill.
“We’ve got much support, not just from him but many people who understand that the Masonic Temple is a priceless asset,” said Roger Sobran, president of the Masonic Temple Association. “We certainly appreciate Brad’s enthusiasm and skill. He’s playing a big part.”
Dizik specializes in tackling large, complex financial battles. The North Farmington High graduate went to Georgetown University Law, where he obtained a master’s of law degree in securities and financial regulation. He worked for the Washington law firm that handled General Motors’ Chapter 11 bankruptcy. He once did a stint in Kyrgyzstan to defend a client. Earlier this year, he started his own consulting firm, Tiberian Regulatory Advisers .
“I’m an anti-corruption lawyer. I just hate seeing good people getting taken advantage of; I always want to correct that,” he said. He now spends about half his time in Detroit and at the Masonic Temple. “I am helping them restructure.”