Cityscape

Detroit ready to spend Prop N bond money on nearly 1,400 home demolitions in spring

January 18, 2021, 6:33 AM


(Photos: WDIV video)

Detroit is ready to resume demolishing abandoned homes with voter-approved money.

Seven contractors are picked for 1,380 demolitions in the first stage of work. It'll be covered by part of the $250 million in city bonds sold after voters passed Proposal N in November by 92,358 votes (70%-30%). 

Step one is getting council OK for $30 million in contracts with the chosen bidders. "The City’s new Demolition Department will be seeking City Council approval to hire seven Detroit-based or Detroit-headquartered companies, five of which are black owned," the mayor's office announces.

All seven companies are small companies located in Detroit and each has hired a Detroit workforce of more than 50% [city residents] to do the work under these contracts. ...

If swiftly approved, preliminary work can begin immediately. First demolitions will begin in spring. 


A decidedly low-tech demolition tactic.

Council passage by Jan. 29 would allow asbestos abatement in February and the arrival of wrecking crews in late March, Mayor Mike Duggan says, according to Michigan Radio.

Duggan also announced that the city [this week] will begin soliciting bids to work on the first 300 homes the city has slated for rehabilitation. 

Under Duggan, Detroit has gone on a demolition spree, taking down more than 20,000 homes since 2014. The demolition program stalled after it ran out of federal funds, but the passage of Proposal N has revived it in a somewhat different form. The program will now direct its efforts toward neighborhoods that didn’t benefit from the initial rounds of largely federally funded demolitions.

Bids for later demolition phases will be solicited every three months, the city statement adds. The goal is to "address 16,000 vacant houses in Detroit through rehabilitation or demolition," it says.

Emergency demolitions will be authorized for structures in imminent danger of collapse if at least one occupied home or a public alley is alongside.

Detroiters can check here to see if blighted propertries near them will be razed this spring. Entering an address shows any demolitions within 500 feet and the approximate work date. Alternate methods: Text an address to (313) 254-DEMO [3366] or scroll through an alphabetical list of all 1,380 sites.


Ballot proposal outcome last Nov. 3. (Graphic: Ballotpedia)



Leave a Comment:

Photo Of The Day