First building demolished in blighted Liberty Square housing complex
One of liberty Square's 17 buildings is knocked down.
Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com
The final chapter to the long, twisted history of Liberty Square began Monday.
By that afternoon, a large potion of the first of 17 buildings in the Ypsilanti Township housing complex had been torn down. It marked the beginning of a three-month demolition process.
“It’s bringing me phenomenal satisfaction to watch the jaws of destruction bringing it down,” said Ypsilanti Township Building Director Ron Fulton.
Over the last three years, Fulton played a key role in the multi-department effort to get the 26-acre property brought up to code, and, when that failed, the long legal battle to condemn the property and convince a judge to order it vacated and torn down.
“By far it’s the largest blight-busting project and for me it’s a momentous occasion,” Fulton said. “This is marking a three-year concerted effort with the Board of Trustees, Sheriffs Office, attorneys and office of community standards.
“It didn’t have to be this away … it could have remained a viable community. Unfortunately no one maintained it, so it’s coming down."
Township Clerk Karen Lovejoy Roe recalled the litany of problems Liberty Square caused while she was supervisor from 1996 through 2004.
The property was a drain on police resources and was consistently in violation of a wide range of codes and ordinances.
“It has been a long haul, and it's a sad day in a way, but we’re dealing with the reality of the situation,” she said. “It was condemned and the court ordered it to come down, and now we’re looking forward to new development on the site."
She said the township tried all it could to remedy the issues at the 151-unit complex, but there were always new problems arising and chronic crime.
“Those days are now behind us, so we can redeploy our building officials, fire department, police officers,” Lovejoy Roe said.
"Between my sheriff's department years and my township years, I've been dealing with this place for over 30 years and it was never good," said Mike Radzik, director of the office of community standards and police services. "It was an exhilarating feeling watching the first building come down."
The demolition was preceded by a small event at which state officials from the Michigan Land Bank came to knock down the first wall.
Kim Homan, the land bank's director, discussed the impact removing abandoned properties has on an area.
“Blight removal improves property values and helps grow area businesses," she said. "The partnership for this demolition between the Michigan Land Bank and Ypsilanti Township is a perfect example of how land banks can assist municipalities with getting properties back into productive use. With the ability to remove blighted structures, the township can now move forward with plans to rezone the property for commercial and retail space, bringing additional resources into their community in the form of jobs and revenue.”
The demolition project is funded, in part, by a grant from the Michigan Land Bank. Ypsilanti Township is one of 34 grantees awarded funding through the Michigan Blight Elimination Program.
The $654,000 the township received for the project includes the direct cost of demolition, but does not include the more than $170,000 the township has spent on legal fees, boarding-up fees, an asbestos survey and asbestos abatement.
The grant funds were part of a $97 million settlement banks agreed to pay the state of Michigan for their role in the foreclosure crisis. The settlement came after a national class action lawsuit filed by Michigan, 48 other states and the federal government, and some of the money was earmarked for blight elimination projects.
The township’s award was among the largest sums provided directly for the demolition of one site.
Tom Perkins is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com. Contact the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2572.
Comments
AnnArborMom1
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 6:01 p.m.
My parents tried their hand at investing in real estate in the 90's. They at one time owned 3 of the liberty square units . My dad was a great handyman and a painter in his younger days, and did most of the work himself after working his full time shift as a security guard at the GM Plant. He retired from Willow Run with 30+ years. Us kids also helped a lot - great free labor we were. I did a lot of drywall, sanding and painting. We put so much time and effort in, but had continuous problems with renters. Bullet holes had to be fixed once. Another tenant that had to be evicted was a known prostitute. Other tenants simply quit paying and seriously trashed the places after formal eviction - which takes months. One day, someone needed to be there in a unit we were fixing up after yet another eviction, for an electrician who was coming to do some work, my dad had some other errands to run, so he dropped me off there to sit and wait for the electrician. I brought a book, bottle of water and a folding chair. There was no elec or water. Welll, my dad forgot about me! lol. I sat there for 4 or 5 hours, well past the appt, and the electrician of course didn't show up. I was scared to leave and scared to stay - Ahh yes, the glorious days before cell phones circa 1992. It was dusk, and I thought, now or never! This 14 year old girl is going for a walk through Liberty Square. I left the unit and attempted to look confident while walking through the complex and down to the corner gas station where I found a pay phone. My 16 yr old brother answered the phone, "Dad's here eating dinner..." I think I gave my dad 2 weeks of silent treatment after that. The poor guy did feel really bad. My parents ended up selling the units to the main investor guy - who it seems was a major player in the downfall of Liberty Square. Strange seeing these units torn down. My parents were honest and did what they could, but the tide was too strong in the other direction by that point.
Julie Baker
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 5:12 p.m.
We just posted a gallery from the first day of demolition. See it here: http://www.annarbor.com/news/ypsilanti/photos-from-the-liberty-square-demolition/
klovejoyroe-ytownclerk
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 4:31 p.m.
Liberty Square and West Willow were not constructed as low income housing. Both these areas were built extremely well and all Liberty Square was owner occupied at one time. What has hurt both of these areas is just pure Greed!! As individuals moved up and sold their units in Liberty Square, many units were purchased by investors for rental income properties. At the time real estate values and costs were soaring year after year and Liberty Square was an area where unfortunately properties could be purchased at a price where renting could be a profitable venture. A couple of larger investors purchased enough of the Liberty Square Townhouses where they controlled the Association through majority ownershp of the units. The investors refused to raise the association fees at a time when the individual property owners and association board members wanted to raise the fees to maintain the property. They could not do anything because the investors controlled the association board. It was the beginning of the end. The investors put nothing in the properties they purchased, refused to be a part of the community to maintain the property, and took every dollar they could out of the property and when the property was beyond repair they stopped paying their taxes and walked away. This is the truth about Liberty Square. It was the greed of a couple of larger investors that led to the demise of this property. West Willow homes were built for automotive executives that worked at Ford Motor Company and General Motors. They were premier homes at the time of their constructions. They were built extremely well. Again as the market values increased and residents moved away many of these homes were bought by investors. Unfortunately some of these investors do not maintain their properties, rent without background checks and do not return any of the profits they make into maintaining the homes and the community. We are all working to hold them accountable.
jns131
Wed, Aug 7, 2013 : 1 p.m.
And this is exactly what happened with Detroit as well. It was built to attack families and people to come into the city and enjoy all it had to offer. It was political greed and again, investors who did not care what happened to the property. These people are called leaches. It started with Coleman Young and ended with Kwame Kilpatrick. An EM is not cleaning up the mess as the township is with Liberty Square. If you take a look at Braebrun Circle off Ellsworth Road this is what the community was suppose to look like today. But because of the leaches it did not. Sad reality of the fact that even when you look at certain areas of Ypsilanti and Detroit you can actually say to yourself, is this what the banks are doing to us? Is this what we are letting the leaches do to us? If people take care control of the neighborhoods you can keep the leaches out. Good piece of information Karen.
Mike
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 6:23 p.m.
@ klovejoyroe-ytownclerk West willow was not originally low income housing as you said. In the late 50's the housing units that were placed on Eugene and west of there were low income housing. The homes originally sold about 30% below the housing that was there prior. There were many ordinances that was set aside to permit building these homes. Eventually I would purchase one of these lower priced homes. With proper maintenance these homes were built to last. You are right about the investors taking all they can and not investing upkeep. The issue there is that investors purchase inexpensive homes that people are dumping due to how the neighborhood is running. I moved to get away from the hood, I lived there from 1958 until 1997. In 1960 we had Doctors, Lawyers, Airline pilots, as well as Carpenters, Plumbers, and many hourly auto workers. I even recall a baseball player living on Studebaker St. I wish I could have stayed there to raise a family, but the violence would not permit me to do so.
John
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 6:18 p.m.
It's a pretty classic story. When the number of rental properties becomes very large in a community, problems creep in due to absentee management and no sense of ownership in the community by residents.
Dennis
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 4:42 p.m.
It's really nice to see a cogent, well thought out remark.
glimmertwin
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 2:52 p.m.
Just seems curious that privately owned homes built before there was any government funding can last hundreds of years yet government subsidized housing lasts just a few decades.
John
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 4:27 p.m.
I'm sure all of those 100-year-old houses just maintain themselves too. No upkeep necessary.
Basic Bob
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 3:28 p.m.
these homes were built with individual homeownership in mind, but common maintenance was required due to the attached construction. the original foundations were substandard and the homeowners association did not put adequate money into the community. the low cost encouraged absentee landlords to buy the units and rent them to otherwise homeless types. many people to blame, not just the government. It was a bad idea.
Mike
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 2:14 p.m.
It is about time that Liberty Square is taken care of(demolished? I am not sure) Liberty square was once a great place to live, although inexpensive. Government subsidized homes assisted people to achieve goals that they thought they never would. Unfortunately it also brings in undesirables. When that happens the good normally move away allowing more undesirable to move in. It did not happen over night and could not be repaired over night. The township should be looking at ways to correct other areas nearby before they have to demolish the entire township. The 50's and 60's brought pride to West Willow, the low income housing built in the early 60's soon became the hood of the late 70's and has grown worse over the years. It may not be long before the township condemns a thousand homes there. Other townships in the Ypsilanti area are in the same shape though. No need to worry about Ann Arbor, they kept low housing costs as far away from them as the could, and kept the taxes high.
Dog Guy
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 1:33 p.m.
"Blight removal improves property values" she said. The subsidized blight has moved and re-moved, raising property values everywhere they leave.
Thomas Jones
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 12:57 p.m.
GOOD! only took many many many years!!!
Mike
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 12:35 p.m.
@Karen. I am not absolutely positive, but as I remember people talking in the late 60's when Liberty Square was built. The project was government subsidized housing allowing the less fortunate an affordable place to live. These townhomes were some of the lowest cost homes in Washtenaw County at the time they were built. A long as there are people that want to give everything to those less fortunate this problem will continue to occur, maybe not her though.
jns131
Wed, Aug 7, 2013 : 1:02 a.m.
I hate to say it, Ann Arbor built a homeless shelter let Ann Arbor take care of the problem. We are done being dumped on. Ypsilanti is removing the problems and sending them packing to Detroit or Ann Arbor. Heck Washington DC wants em send em there.
Mike
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 11:10 p.m.
@sttc No way do I think that the poor should be homeless nor do I think that they should be out on the street. I do however believe that if people try to improve the lives of the less fortunate, they should not take advantage the generosity. These homes were good homes in an area that people wanted to live and raise a family. Buildings that were destroyed by people. The area destroyed by those people making it to where no one wanted to live there. Not to be mean, but do you believe that we should just try to do it again under the same conditions?
sttc
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 8:22 p.m.
so what's your solution, mike? let the poor die homeless out on the streets?
Ypsituckyguy
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 12:21 p.m.
Judging by some of the previous comments I think folks are missing the fact that this property has been around for over 30 years. It doesn't matter who built it. It is and always was in a great spot for housing. The fact is, it was mismanaged and through this mismanagement was allowed to deteriorate to the state it did. It was a crime haven all of my 40 years and would have continued to be. Many of the units were vacant for years and were stripped of any valuable material that could be sold for scrap. In recent years, there were homeless people squatting in the vacant units. Long story short, it was a danger and a drain on resources to the surrounding community.
Karen
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 11:39 a.m.
Who built it = well Ann Arbor News? And has anyone made sure they can never get another bank loan to build another one?
jns131
Wed, Aug 7, 2013 : 1 a.m.
According to what I heard it was owned by a bank in Scotland. Yes, Scotland that place over the Atlantic. They did not even know they owned it. So after this long stretch of time? They released it and now it is going to become something else. Good riddance and maybe I might got over there and pull up a chair to watch.
Dennis
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 4:39 p.m.
The complex is over 20 years old. Who built it really doesn't matter at this point.
Elaine F. Owsley
Tue, Aug 6, 2013 : 10:49 a.m.
Don't stop now.