Comments on: Dearborn Developer says ‘Dream is Over’

By: EDRes

EDRes — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:39:17 +0000

It’s too bad any time when economic conditions destroy people’s hard work and livelihood. So sorry Hakim. With that said, I believe it is unfortunate the development turned West Dearborn into a giant conglomeration of strip malls. The downtown has certainly lost character and interest as the same facade, same design, same brick is used everywhere. While East Dearborn needs a little help too (Schaefer could look a whole lot better north or Michigan), I certainly hope we don’t destroy the rich character of our architecture. While much has been done in West Dearborn, it is very stale. New isn’t alway attractive.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:47:54 +0000

As a new resident of the city – who at least bought here knowing full well about the problems of local government, in part to this fantastic blog – I can’t help but feel this is a good thing. I’d much rather have the buildings owned piecemeal than be under the umbrella of a group like DVP that seems uninterested in getting tenants into its buildings. Whoever said, “Now how do we get Newman to fold?” has got my vote.

I mean, it really says something about developers when so many of their properties are vacant. Sure, times are hard, but times are hard everywhere, and look at Allen Park. Sure, Dearborn doesn’t have the demographic advantage of a Royal Oak, but neither should it be so commercially vacant as it is.

Not that I think the city government is on the right track. Dearborn appears to be uniquely hostile to anything resembling individual entrepreneurship – their only regional rival might be Detroit.

When small businesses – for instance, the lady behind the new sandwich shop on Military – try to make themselves successful, the city does everything in their power to shut them down. Yet they let DVP string them along for years with pipe dreams and apparently shoddy finances, while allowing them to neglect perfectly good buildings in prime frontage until they’re eyesores.

It seems pretty obvious what the city needs to do: encourage and support individuals to take healthy risks in creating new businesses; encourage landlords to be somewhat lenient or at least not the scrooges our local bunch seems to be; discourage unproven developers from buying up half the town; and provide a sane, rational environment where people can satisfy city requirements and get back to, you know, making money.

Any sane person recognizes that the city government is a big part of the city’s problems. I question whether our local leaders do. Until I see much more aggressive change internally in the city government, I won’t be convinced.

By: emanon

emanon — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:26:03 +0000

Chery Kohs said:
“Dearborn is one of the only cities in the area that chooses — instead of working with potential homeowners or investors — to levy HUGE escrows on foreclosed homes, therefore making it virtually impossible that some of these will ever be inhabited by tax paying citizens again.

This is especially true for older homes built before 1950–once the home is empty for 6 months or longer, the city chooses to abide by a state code that requires the entire structure to meet new construction codes (this is a code that most of the surrounding cities choose to overlook, wisely). This means they put 50-60K escrows against 15K foreclosures. ”

I bought one of the rare foreclosures in W. Dbn. approximately 5 years ago & let me tell you “The Dream Is Over”! I now have about $200k into a house worth 1/2 that & I still can’t get B & S to issue me a C of O, even with all the requirements met. They treated me like a criminal every step of the way, that is back when I could even get anyone to talk to me. There’s only one decent person in that dept. I ever met, but apparently he’s given up on trying to help me, too. This experience has caused me to truly HATE this city, at least city hall & I am looking forward to leaving. I would not ever buy in this town again & I have told my horror stories to anyone who will listen.

By: andy

andy — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:45:46 +0000

Hakim, as well as the B & S employees are still trying to work out better deals, watch out Dave Norwood and Cascardo it is not over yet. Believe me Jack you know what we the people have been thinking for a long time, and its going to come to fruition shortly.

By: Donna Hay

Donna Hay — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:51:12 +0000

Tea Party, no I am not ready to sign up I was just wonder how far you were going with this.

By: oldalldayschoolmom

oldalldayschoolmom — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:20:50 +0000

Oops! That should read “have sung like birds”

By: oldalldayschoolmom

oldalldayschoolmom — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:20:18 +0000

The feds’ “massive investigation” of city hall is just starting to yield results, and I will bet the disgraced building department employees who have just started serving their jail terms haven’t sung like birds to the investigators.
Trust me, the feds take their time and it’s not over yet.

By: GENERATOR MAN

GENERATOR MAN — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:59:09 +0000

I KNEW YOUR DREAM WAS OVER WHEN I DROVE DOWN DIX AND SEEN THE GENERATOR RUNNIN AT THE A & W.
P.S IS THERE ENOUGH WATTS IN THE GENERATOR TO GET US A ROOT BEER FLOAT?

By: Tea Party Tiffany

Tea Party Tiffany — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:52:14 +0000

I have to say that i agree with all of you on some of your points,t-dog is right about HK not having the funding to begin with,but just because the Feds do not legally find corruption doesn’t mean corrupt things aren’t happening in other ways. Politicians are notorious for what i call “legal corruption”. Take a look at whats going on in Washington and the corrupt congress,they pass bills that benefit them and their lobbyist friends. Take a look at who the Mayor has either promoted,protected or appointed and then see if their wages have all increased while he is talking about service cuts. Look into city superintendents and see how many have just got big wage increases while the mayor talks about city service cuts.
This November nationally will be an indication of what is going to happen in dearborn in the next elections,long term machine politician incumbents are going to be voted out!
Dona Hay,are you ready to join the new Dearborn Tea Party movement?….anyone else ready?

By: Just saying

Just saying — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:35:50 +0000

I have a few empty homes that have been maintained by the real estate company or bank because they have been shoveled and maintained throughout the seasons, however, the couple of renters have not and one trashed the once well groomed home they are living in… the yard looks like a dumping ground and the landscaping looks like they let everything die and become over-grown. As soon as they get evicted they trash the home and it becomes an eyesore! Thats just been my experience and my opinion. So yes I would rather see it be empty because someone is still paying the taxes, and the city has an ordinance that if the property owner does not take care of it they will send someone to do it for a fee and tack on a lein on the property if it doesn’t get paid.