DETROIT – Surrounding the tanks and tall, bright metal structures of the Marathon Oil Refinery in southwest Detroit is the small community of Oakwood Heights.
The neighborhood is plagued by poverty, crime and pollution. Now, those who want out may have their chance as Marathon is looking to buy up housing property to turn the land into green space.
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Four hundred residents received a letter in the mail Wednesday from the oil company. Marathon is offering to buy each house for as much as $40,000 each.
"Personally, we just want to move," said Giselle Riera, who lives in the neighborhood and received one of the letters. "We want to move to a different area, more safe for the kids."
Neighbor Tony Smith agrees. Smith said it's about time.
"It's the best thing," he said. "Too bad they waited to long to do it. You can ask everyone in the neighborhood. Nobody wants to be here. Everybody has already moved out that's been here a long time. Just some of us couldn't afford to do it and now we got a chance to better ourselves."
However, not everyone is so excited about the offer.
"Not that I'm not for moving up and going for what's better, you know, and maybe bigger for some people, but it's still home to some people," said neighbor Chanel Stanley. "That feel likes it's home and you don't want to leave."
Marathon Oil Detroit Refinery
Marathon's project will cost more than $2 billion and is expected to create more than 100 jobs. The company will begin holding informational meetings on the buyout program Thursday.