The Detroit Land Bank Authority Expects to Sell Remaining Properties by 2023
/in Detroit /by Tracy WillisThe Detroit Land Bank Authority expects to sell most of its structures by the end of 2023. The DLBA is responsible for selling vacant homes and lots in the city. Their focus moving forward will adapt to vacant land sales with the mission to return blighted and vacant properties to productive use. The Land Bank officials asked the city for $11 million from the general fund for the 2023 fiscal year in order to maintain operations and properties that could be put up for sale. The DLBA expects to list 5,400 salvageable properties by the end of next year, but needs the money to maintain the properties.
Ann Arbor City Council Approves Rezoning Efforts
/in SE Michigan /by Tracy WillisIn an 8-3 vote, the Ann Arbor City Council has given initial approval for the rezoning of over 200 acres around Briarwood Mall. The city-initiated rezoning will need final council approval next month. Its intent is to encourage high-density, mixed-use development with limited building heights determined by the proximity of residential areas. City officials are hopeful that it will lead to a mix of housing and commercial spaces. The three council members who voted against the proposal view the rezoning as a giveaway to developers and landowners.
Washtenaw County Clerk Discovers Racial Restriction Policies
/in SE Michigan, Uncategorized /by Tracy WillisWashtenaw County’s county clerk, Larry Kestenbaum, has been researching county property records for over 17 years. He has found evidence of racially restrictive covenants all over the county. These policies kept people of color from living in many neighborhoods unless they were in-service for white families. A group called Justice InDeed, along with the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at the University of Michigan have decided to get involved with the project. Together with Kestenbaum’s office, they filed paperwork to officially repeal and replace the 1947 whites-only policy for the Hannah subdivision in Ann Arbor. Although the restrictions haven’t been legal or enforceable for years, repealing them will affirm the neighborhood’s welcoming inclusivity.
Union Street Space Listed for $7.5 Million
/in Detroit /by Tracy WillisMario Kiezi, owner of the former Union Street Detroit restaurant and the Midtown Liquor & Deli store, has listed the property for $7.5 million. He has listed it with O’Connor Real Estate. He originally envisioned converting it into a grocery store. Those plans may still come to fruition as two regional grocers have recently toured the building. The two-story building is situated at Woodward Avenue at Willis Street. The first floor has had various commercial uses in the past, and the top floor has been empty since the 1960s when it was used for eight residences.
Posh Storage Units Coming to Petoskey and Charlevoix
/in Northern Michigan /by Tracy WillisPetoskey and Charlevoix are gaining new high-end and climate-controlled storage units. Developer Aston Clark is building the Toy Box Luxury Storage Units. The warehouses will be between U.S. 31, between Petoskey and Charlevoix. Each unit will have heat and air conditioning, a bathroom, a kitchen, loft and balcony with views of the lake. The 2,300 square foot units will be available starting May 4. According to the Michigan Self-Storage Association, the demand has gone up for storage in Northern Michigan.
Charlevoix’s New Ordinance Inhibits Blight
/in Northern Michigan /by Tracy WillisCharlevoix City Council has approved a property maintenance code to address declining properties before they reach blight status. The international Property Maintenance Code Ordinance is designed to supplement the Dangerous Buildings Ordinance. According to zoning administrator Jonathan Scheel, the city didn’t have any type of property maintenance code to prevent a building from becoming dilapidated. The new code will give the city the ability to intervene and require deteriorating structures to be corrected before they become unfixable issues.