News File Photo The Decorative Panels International Alpena plant appears in this August 2022 News archive photo.

ALPENA — The auction to sell the former Decorative Panels International property in Alpena has been pushed back until the end of January.

The auction was slated to run Monday through Wednesday, with a minimum bid of $1 million.

The plant closed in February and laid off more than 150 employees.

It wasn’t immediately clear why the auction was pushed back, but the Alpena Municipal Council is considering rezoning the property from industrial to waterfront property, allowing different types of development at the site but prohibiting a large plant like DPI to operate.

A vote on the proposed zoning change could happen as soon as Monday.

Officials at DPI say that, if the city changes the zoning, it could hamper the bidding process and interested buyers could be spooked away.

It was also revealed several weeks ago by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy that there are significant environmental issues with the property, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in the soil.

Scott Dienes, an attorney for DPI, has urged the city to work with DPI to find an alternative solution to rezoning, but did not rule out a lawsuit if the city rezones the property.