Latest news with #TheBriefDetroit
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Detroit Demolition Week begins as vacant houses are torn down bit by bit
The Brief Detroit residents are participating in Demolition Week, tearing down vacant homes across all neighborhoods. Many residents felt relief seeing vacant homes come down, as they are eyesores and safety hazards. FOX 2 was told the demo team has about a few thousand demolitions planned in 2024. DETROIT (FOX 2) - Vacant properties across Detroit were torn down as part of the city's Demolition Week, an initiative to get residents more involved in efforts to improve the appearance of their neighborhoods. Local perspective On Monday, those residents got a front-row seat of a demolition on the city's west side, where a home had been vacant for four years on Alpine, filled with asbestos, after a fire made it un-salvageable. Now, residents like Sandra, who lives next door, watched as a crane crushed it to pieces. She told FOX 2 she felt relief when it went down. "You don't have to worry about what could be in the home, what could be coming out of the home," she said. It's a common thought citywide, even for those working on the city's construction and demolition team. That includes Director Tim Palazzolo. "A house that's vacant and open to trespassing, open to the elements only causes hazards for people, and we want to make sure we eliminate those hazards," he said. By the numbers The demolition team gets about 20 calls a day about reported eyesores from the community. FOX 2 was told they have about a few thousand demolitions planned in 2024 alone. Many of their properties are handed over by the Land Bank. "Under proposal and our target was 8,000, and we're getting there. Actually, we expect to hit our 8,000 mark later this year in the summer," Palazzolo said. "We're really kind of the last resort." While the crew plans for more possible demolitions along Alpine, the neighborhood is now hopeful for the future. What you can do The city's construction and demolition team is hosting public events all week long for Demolition Week. If you are interested in what is going on or wonder how you can get involved, you can go to the city website by tapping here. The Source FOX 2 talked with members of the Detroit Construction & Demolition Dept. and neighbors living in the area.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Detroit homeownership wealth grows to $4.6 billion since 2014
The Brief Detroit homeowners are feeling the payoff as home values have increased. Mayor Mike Duggan says the city's homeownership wealth grew to $700 million last year. Duggan hopes that trend continues under the next mayor. DETROIT (FOX 2) - A neighborhood on Detroit's east side on 8-Mile is where Sonya Davenport lived for more than 30 years, and now, it's paying off. "I stayed first because that was my mother's home and I was getting older and I knew I was going to retire," Davenport said. "I feel great. I feel great about that. It's really about time. We've really been waiting on our property values to go up." By the numbers During a news conference, Mayor Mike Duggan revealed a University of Michigan study found the city's homeownership wealth grew to $700 million last year. It's jumped to $4.6 billion since Duggan took office in 2014. "When an 83% African American community elected me, I felt like there was a real responsibility to deliver," Duggan said. "I'm very pleased to say that of the $4.6 billion in wealth gained — $3.2 billion — almost three-quarters has been gained by African American homeowners." City Councilman Fred Durhal III says initiatives like Motor City Match, the demolition of abandoned homes, and a push to revitalize parks have contributed to increasing Detroit's property wealth, which helps build generational wealth. "We are coming back here in the city of Detroit," said Durhal. "I am confident that if we stay at this pace and if we continues to push forward, we will reach greater heights in the city of Detroit." U-M Professor Jeremy Morenoff worked on the study. "This was not just about the wealthy neighborhoods getting wealthier. This is about raising all boats; but especially those that started out with the lowest property values," Morenoff said. What's next Duggan said he is proud of the increase in homeowner wealth. He hopes that trend continues under the next mayor. The Source FOX 2 used information provided by Detroit city leaders and talked to homeowners.
