Detroit tears down east side abandoned metal stamping plant, neighbors elated

By Andres Gutierrez

August 31, 2023 / 4:16 PM / CBS Detroit

(CBS DETROIT) – Detroit is marching steadily to transform blight into beauty, tearing down yet another dilapidated building Thursday on the city's east side.

It will take two days to completely tear down the abandoned metal stamping plant on Hoover Street and East State Fair Avenue that neighbors say has been an eyesore for almost a decade.

"We've named it "Scary Alley" because it's just that," said April Hill, who lives nearby.

Hill added it didn't take long for people who live in the Osborn neighborhood to feel unsafe once the 32,000-square-foot building was abandoned in 2014.

"The largest nuisance was the dumping of tires, cars, etc. There was just an influx of dumping on the property on a regular basis," Hill said.

Soon, that won't be a worry.

Crews started knocking down the two-story structure using funds from the American Rescue Plan.

It's one of about 300 commercial properties in Detroit marked for demolition. Bids are out for the others.

On the residential side, the city is making strides.

Through Proposal N, they identified 8,000 vacant houses that need to go. As of today, over 4,000 are gone.

"It's a significant gain for us. When we started this process three years ago, it was hard to see that there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. We're very pleased to be able to start to transition into what does the future look like for demo and maintaining this effort after we complete our 8,000," LaJuan Counts, Director of the Detroit Demolition Department, told reporters.

Each demolition follows a thorough process, beginning with property surveys, a check for hazardous materials, and dust levels are monitored during the actual teardown to ensure safety.

"We'd rather see just an empty lot than to see a dilapidated building anymore. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Hill said.

Andres Gutierrez joined CBS News Detroit in September 2022. He comes from KSHB-TV in Kansas City, Missouri, serving as a general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor.

First published on August 31, 2023 / 4:16 PM

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