Well, when you pull the property tax records he is delinquent on his taxes. From that standpoint, it makes me wonder if it is a financial issue and he is fighting it by saying he shouldn't have to pay because of [insert reason here]. Tax records are public information and from a business standpoint (depending on the value of the improvements) the property tax figures should have been included in the business plan.
I don't like paying taxes any more than the next guy, but each state has it's tax structure and it is all considered in the course of business. Every company could conceivably argue that "I don't owe taxes because I indirectly contribute to the economy".
His money would be better spent to see if there are some zoning changes he could make along the way with certain parcels to at least reduce the burden, or at least explore if he can negotiate a payment in lieu of taxes that may be less but consistent without regard for the value of improvements made to the facility.
At the end of the day it's up to him to decide if it's financially viable to raze a facility, sell the facility and then purchase land and construct another one elsewhere, as he claims.