Detroit's Demolition Effort Hits a Roadblock: Land Bank Inventory Dwindles Amid Environmental Concerns.
In a milestone of its campaign to eradicate blight in the city, Detroit has demolished nearly 27,000 abandoned houses and sold another 19,000 homes since Mayor Mike Duggan took office in 2014. However, as the city nears the elimination of its vacant housing stock, an ongoing environmental cleanup effort linked to contaminated soil used at some demolition sites threatens to undermine the achievements.
Just over a decade ago, Detroit had an estimated 47,000 abandoned, city-owned houses under the Detroit Land Bank Authority. As of this month, that inventory has been reduced to just 942 homes, according to a final report released by Duggan ahead of the closeout of Proposal N, a voter-approved bond program that funded the second phase of demolitions.
While the city's efforts have undoubtedly contributed to rising property values, with a University of Michigan study finding that Detroit homeowners gained $4.6 billion in home equity between 2014 and 2023, some are now questioning whether the cost of environmental remediation will outweigh the benefits of these initiatives.
A probe into the use of contaminated soil at demolition sites has led to the suspension of several contractors, including Gayanga Co. LLC and Iron Horse of Michigan Inc., which was found to have supplied backfill material that exceeded state residential standards at multiple locations. The city has set aside $15 million in Proposal N closeout funds to address soil remediation, and testing ordered by the city has revealed unacceptable contaminant levels at dozens of sites.
"We will test every single site with suspected contaminated backfill, we will immediately remove any soil found unacceptable, and we will pursue reimbursement from the responsible contractor," Duggan said. However, some are now calling for greater transparency in this process, as well as stricter regulations on environmental remediation efforts.
Despite these challenges, Mayor Duggan remains committed to his campaign against blight in Detroit, citing the success of homeowners who stayed in the city and never left as one of the most satisfying accomplishments of his administration. As the city continues to navigate these complex issues, it will be watching with interest to see how these initiatives are resolved and whether they can be reconciled with a commitment to environmental sustainability.
In a milestone of its campaign to eradicate blight in the city, Detroit has demolished nearly 27,000 abandoned houses and sold another 19,000 homes since Mayor Mike Duggan took office in 2014. However, as the city nears the elimination of its vacant housing stock, an ongoing environmental cleanup effort linked to contaminated soil used at some demolition sites threatens to undermine the achievements.
Just over a decade ago, Detroit had an estimated 47,000 abandoned, city-owned houses under the Detroit Land Bank Authority. As of this month, that inventory has been reduced to just 942 homes, according to a final report released by Duggan ahead of the closeout of Proposal N, a voter-approved bond program that funded the second phase of demolitions.
While the city's efforts have undoubtedly contributed to rising property values, with a University of Michigan study finding that Detroit homeowners gained $4.6 billion in home equity between 2014 and 2023, some are now questioning whether the cost of environmental remediation will outweigh the benefits of these initiatives.
A probe into the use of contaminated soil at demolition sites has led to the suspension of several contractors, including Gayanga Co. LLC and Iron Horse of Michigan Inc., which was found to have supplied backfill material that exceeded state residential standards at multiple locations. The city has set aside $15 million in Proposal N closeout funds to address soil remediation, and testing ordered by the city has revealed unacceptable contaminant levels at dozens of sites.
"We will test every single site with suspected contaminated backfill, we will immediately remove any soil found unacceptable, and we will pursue reimbursement from the responsible contractor," Duggan said. However, some are now calling for greater transparency in this process, as well as stricter regulations on environmental remediation efforts.
Despite these challenges, Mayor Duggan remains committed to his campaign against blight in Detroit, citing the success of homeowners who stayed in the city and never left as one of the most satisfying accomplishments of his administration. As the city continues to navigate these complex issues, it will be watching with interest to see how these initiatives are resolved and whether they can be reconciled with a commitment to environmental sustainability.
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. Like, they're making so much money from selling homes, but at what cost? The environmental cleanup is a big deal and it's not like they can just ignore it 
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. And what about the homeowners who stayed in the city? Are they gonna be protected from any potential contamination effects? 
. It's not like they can just ignore the problem and hope it goes away 
. They need to find a solution that works for everyone, including the environment 
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But at the same time, I can see why some people are worried about the environmental implications. It's like, we're trying to clean up a mess, but in the process, we might create another one. Let's just hope they figure out how to make it work and that everyone comes out on top 
- Mark Zuckerberg 
it's like they didn't think this through, i guess. $4.6 billion gain in home equity is a big deal, but if the city can't even clean up after itself, what's the point? 
. They're doing such a great job of getting rid of those abandoned houses, but now the city is dealing with contaminated soil issues? It's like they're just kicking the can down the road 
. I mean, I get that environmental remediation is important, but come on, can't we do better than this? We should be setting a good example for other cities to follow, not just trying to cover our tracks 
. The city needs to step up and take responsibility for their actions 
. Let's hope they can get this sorted out ASAP 
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