Bobby Ferguson: Detroit Has the Money to Tear Down 3,000 Homes

Feb. 27, 2010 - PRLog -- Detroit, MI - In Monday’s Free Press, it was reported that Detroit has the funding to tear down 2,500 to 3,000 of the roughly 10,000 dangerous houses that are on the demolition rolls, according to city officials.

About $14 million in federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program money and about $6 million from other funds will be used to demolish the homes, Karla Henderson, director of Detroit’s Buildings & Safety Engineering Department, told City Council this morning. It costs the city about $10,000 to demolish each single-family home.

“A lot of it comes down to funding,” Henderson said.

The city also is pursuing options to collect the cost of demolition from property owners.

Highland Park Blight Elimination Program

In past years, Bobby Ferguson’s Detroit company has donated manpower and equipment to eliminate blighted conditions not just in Detroit but in other existing areas such as Highland Park.  In 2007, Bobby Ferguson’s contribution to arresting our community’s blight concentrated around Highland Park schools: Barber Elementary, North Pointe Academy, Cortland Academy, Henry Ford Academy and George Washington Carver Academy.

State Funding Will Clear the Way for More Homes and Businesses

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MHSDA) is seeking $290 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for its New Michigan Urban Neighborhood plan targeting the 12 largest municipalities, including Lansing, Detroit, Highland Park, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.

The projects would revitalize neighborhoods by renovating or demolishing abandoned houses while improving the potential for private businesses looking to open shops in thriving areas, said Rick Ballard, director of the MSHDA office of community development.
If the plan is funded, about 6,000 abandoned, foreclosed or vacant properties will be acquired and redeveloped, 2,500 structures will be torn down, and 1,500 homes will be built or rehabilitated.

The housing authority is one of hundreds of applicants in the U.S. hoping to grab a piece of HUD’s $1.93 billion Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

MSHDA already is distributing $174 million in federal stimulus funds from the first round of the stabilization program’s awards among 44 cities, but that isn’t enough money to “make sufficient investments and change the market perception” in those areas, Ballard said.

FEI, as a company on the move in both size and stature, has an employee roster of over 150 skilled and professional support staff.  The company is fully insured for general liability and workers’ compensation insurance.  

As a Minority Business Enterprise, FEI is certified with the State of Michigan and the City of Detroit.  

Contact Information

Ferguson Enterprises, Inc.
14385 Wyoming
Detroit, MI  48238
Office: 313-491-4040
Fax: 313-491-4206
Email: info@feiteam.com
Website: www.bobbyfergusondetroit.com

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FEI, as a company on the move in both size and stature, has an employee roster of over 150 skilled and professional support staff. The company is fully insured for general liability and workers’ compensation insurance. As a Minority Business Enterprise, FEI is certified with the State of Michigan and the City of Detroit.