To drastically increase the rate of Detroit’s ongoing transformation, the city's bankruptcy plan, recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, would spend $520 million on its ongoing blight reduction efforts in the hopes of razing 400-500 homes a week.
Detroit recently filed its Chapter 9 bankruptcy plan of adjustment in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The proposed actions of the plan include a dramatic acceleration of the city’s blight reduction efforts.
“Reduction of urban blight is among the city’s highest reinvestment priorities,” said Detroit emergency manager Kevyn Orr in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court filing, which took place February 21, 2014.
Nathan Bomey, Matt Helms, and Brent Snavely report on the details of the bankruptcy plan adjustment, which will “[pave] the way for the city to dramatically reduce an estimated $18 billion in debt and liabilities.”
In a separate article, John Gallagher, Patricia Montemurri, and JC Reindl detail the plan’s dramatic acceleration of the city’s blight reduction program—from the current pace of 114 residential structures a week to 400-450 every week by next year. “At that pace, the city would rid itself of 80,000 blighted houses in five years, paid for by savings from the bankruptcy reorganization and from government and private sources.”
FULL STORY: Monumental effort to tear down blight would improve neighborhoods and Detroit's image
A Closer Look at Detroit's Blighted Properties
The New York Times has produced a pair of visualization tools to present the findings of the recent report by Detroit's Blight Removal Task Force.
Report Recommends $850 Million to Eradicate Detroit's Blight
The Detroit Blight Removal Task Force released its highly anticipated "Every neighborhood has a future...And it doesn't include blight" report today.
Federal Agencies Investigating the Rising Costs of Detroit's Blight Program
Detroit's aggressive blight reduction strategy, to demolish vacant homes by the thousands, is coming under scrutiny for rising costs. The FBI and the U.S. Inspector General are investigating.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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