Detroit demolition project pays heavy consequence

DETROIT – In an effort to demolish 1,200 vacant Detroit homes each month, the city's newest cleanup project seems to only create a bigger problem.

Near Outer Drive and West Seven Mile in Detroit, there are beautiful neighborhoods with clean and well-kept homes. Much like the vision many have of the old Detroit.

And then there are those parts of the city that we are all too familiar with today. They consist of run-down businesses, abandoned buildings, graffiti and trash thrown across parking lots and lawns, which only allow room for more illegal dumping grounds.

Bill Carr, block club president of the Outer Drive West Seven Mile Community Association has been in contact with the city about the many vacant buildings for quite some time.

"We've contacted the city several times and I'm not exactly sure who demolished that or how it was done, but they've not cleaned it up," he said.

However, the good news is that after asking the city to get rid of the old vacant and dangerous eyesore, it was finally brought down.

The bad news – debris is left lying around which now leaves room for illegal dumping to be piled on top of the crumpled building.

Despite all their efforts to clean up the city, this doesn't help create a good image for Detroit and only encourages further pollution and filth to be dumped everywhere.

"This is what we're afraid of," said Carr. "Once people see this kind of thing, they'll continue to add to it."

The spokesperson for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan states that what Detroiters are looking at should not be happening, and a demo company that receives a contract from the city should take the building down and get the debris to be hauled off.

The owners of neighboring buildings say the contractor came out, took down the building and has never come back.  He is also not returning any calls.

Angela Hicks, who runs the Detroit Martial Arts across the street from the demolition site, states that they keep their property clean, so she'd like the city and contractors to return the favor.

"It's an eyesore, hopefully they will clean it up," said Hicks. "It's nothing we can do but keep our property clean."

The city is saying that because the demo job wasn't completed, the contractor is scheduled to be on site and finish the job tomorrow. Neighbors will be waiting anxiously to see if they follow through with their plans.


About the Authors:

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.