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Report: New Proposal for West Dearborn?

It appears the 'dream' may not be over.

It appears “The Dream” isn’t over after all, which could be good news for downtown west Dearborn.

In an article in Sunday’s Dearborn Times Herald, reporter J. Patrick Pepper reports that Hakim Fakhoury has a new proposal for a west downtown development on city-owned land.

According to the paper, the proposed plan was submitted to the city in February. Preliminary rough plans call for a four-story, 160-unit complex comprising residential and commercial components with an estimated development cost of $31 million. The paper reports that Fakhoury’s potential partner in the enterprise is developer Jeff Helminski of Moravian Companies.

As for the demolition of several eyesore buildings owned by Fakhoury, the Times-Herald reports that city officials agreed to halt demolition proceedings on the former Giuliano’s restaurant, Brother’s Tuxedo and Bally’s Vic Tanny. In exchange for the delay, some aesthetic work would be conducted on the buildings, including “power washing, construction material cleanup and covering the windows with opaque film,” the paper reports.

And those signs that proclaimed “The Dream is Over – For Sale”? The city required Fakhoury remove them as part of the agreement. The signs, the Times-Herald says, were a “public proclamation” of Fakhoury’s frustration with city officials.

You can read the complete Times-Herald story HERE.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 19th, 2010 at 1:34 am and is filed under Around Town. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  • Donna Hay

    Ya gotta love it – 2 PARKING GARAGES.

  • cloe

    Just a question. I understood that the buildings that were to come down had been condemned. Is this right? If it is, why is he allowed to just make them look better on the outside and leave them up.

    The city inspectors drive people crazy over little things but the city gives him a free pass on anything that he wants.

    It makes you wonder WHY!

    Another question. Are all of his other commercial properties and residential spaces occupied? If not, why? Why build more of the same when he can’t get people into the ones that he has now?

    It makes you wonder WHY!

  • tdogg

    HF’s new partner, The Moravian Companies, have tried to develop a large residential property near downtown Ann Arbor, but haven’t been able to get approval from the City Council due to carping from the neighborhood.

    The principal of Moravian is Jeff Helminski – his blog (http://www.metromodemedia.com/blogs/bloggers/JeffHelminski0097.aspx ) certainly reads well.

    I wish HF and Jeff the very best in their efforts to break some new ground here in Dearborn.

  • http://EXPLOER LOUISE

    i AGREE WITH CHLOE. SEEMS LIKE HE HAS THE MAYOR IN HIS POCKET.
    WHEN I SAW “THE DREAM IS OVER SIGNS” I THOUGHT….GOOD RIDDANCE, SELL THE BUILDINGS TO SOMEONE DIFFERENT. FINALLY WE CAN TAKE OUR WEST END IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. ALL FAKHOURY WANTS IS TO BUILDINGS ON TOP OF BUILDINGS TO MAKE THE MOST BUCKS….GREED. WE DONT WANT WHAT HE HAS IN MIND. WHAT IS UP WITH OUR LEADERSHIP ANYWAY?
    LETS GET AN HISTORIC THEME GOING IN OUR WEST END LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE YEARS AGO. NO MORE MIDDEL EASTERN OR ITALIAN RESTAURANTS, NOR MORE BARS. SADLY, OUR CITY IS LITTLE DETROIT FAST. LOOK AT OUR HOMES, OUR PARKS, OUR WEST END OF TOWN. MASS EXODUS OF THE GOOD PEOPLE.

  • http://explorer MARY

    I also agree. we have enough restaurants…..the buildings he built have sat empty. there is no desire for these types of buildings, such as lofts. some more upscale type of stores would be nice. kohls would have been great. how about Hillers.

  • Donna Hay

    The city just makes up its own set of rules as it wonders down the path to heaven only knows where. Maybe there is no one else out there that wants to invest that much money into this city. I wish Hakim the best and certainly hope that this new venture works out for him and all of us.

  • moe

    The Big Fella got embarrassed and had Hakim take the signs down (once again he made the city fathers look like chumps). By the way theother con-man Hakim was dealing with Jim Parrelly bailed out on Hakim so he found another sucker — Hakim anything you touch turns into shit, who do you think you are kidding, besides O’Reilley that is.

  • Ronny

    Some of these posts are downright laughable. For starters, yes there are many vacant properties but if you care to look, there are plenty of empty buidings in royal oak, birmingham, northville just to name a few. Hakim had a vision for the west end and due to various factors such as the economy, parking, and the fairlane north development, his vision failed to come to fruition. Why the applauding of his failures. At least he developed some very nice properties and brought big name tenants such as BWW, Panera, Pizza Papalis and built nice high rise lofts. “He’s got the mayor in his pocket”, are you kidding their relationship couldn’t be worse. I always felt a big mistake in the west end was dragging our feet for YEARS to develop the old Jacobsen’s site, by the time it was completed the economy was in the toilet. How come all this harping on Hakim and no mention of Newman. This guy hasn’t remodeled one brick in 20 years and we wonder why many of his properties are vacant. What’s this talk of Hillers? I would take Westborn over Hiller’s anyday. One of the few sucessful business’s in the west end and you pray for a competitor. Im sorry to say it but most people in the west end are just too darn cheap. That’s why we don’t have any high end stores. The same people on this board calling for high end stores are probably the same people you see living in these west end houses that haven’t been updated in 30 years. Spend some money people: eat sushi, go to yoga, go to the salon, cigar shop, spa, etc.

  • Marge

    Mary, I’m with you – enough restaurants! This is a bedroom community where people raise their children. They are not in need of bars and trendy restaurants. They are in need of neighborhood pools (as we recently saw demonstrated) and grocery and reatail stores. Hiller’s would be wonderful! Why didn’t we get the new Hobby Lobby that went to Taylor on Telegraph? That’s a great store! Hiller’s is a wonderful grocery market and would not hurt Westborn as many fear. If there isn’t enough good business in town, pretty soon there will not be enough people in town to support Westborn. More business in town is good for the ones that are already here – all good business people know that. Being the only good business in a town is as risky as being a mansion in a slum – not a good investment!

  • Reason

    Marge, Dearborn is most definitely not just a bedroom community. Dearborn Heights is a bedroom community. “Bedroom” means that people basically sleep there, but not much else. Dearborn has two downtowns, two institutions of higher learning, high-end hotels, a huge corporate presence…

    Plus, if we keep marketing ourselves as a swell little suburb to raise a family, goshdurnit…well, we’re not going to attract many new residents. 30, 40, 50 years ago Dearborn was the ultimate suburb– a great place to raise a family, goshdurnit. Nowadays, though, people that are looking for a great suburban experience to raise there family look at the narrow lots and small bungalows in Dearborn and say “Are you kidding me?”

    Dearborn can potentially become a great pseudo-urban experience for young adults (and even young families). A place to live with downtowns, lofts, arts, theater, nightlife, students, etc…but without the hassles and crime associated with living in an actual urban environment (like Detroit).

    Sorry, but if we keep holding on to Dearborn ONLY being a great, quiet little place to raise a family and have family-friendly stuff, then we’re dooming ourselves to has-been status.

  • http://www.entertonement.com/clips/lxtcbplrfm--When-you-think-of-garbage-think-of-Akeem Johnny Cakes

    Moe’s comments made me “think of” this soundbite I linked to my name. How prescient.

  • cloe

    Reason – I agree with you. Dearborn is not a bedroom community.

    We could have a thriving business community but for a few things:

    1. Michigan Ave is a state highway. Communities like Royal Oak, Birmingham, even Wayne, built their shopping districts off the main artery.

    2. It would be wonderful to see small, specialized shops in the district. Why don’t we? The answer is simple. The greed of the Landlords. Have you ever inquired to the prices that Mr. Fahkoury, among others, charges.

    3. Building more of the same, which are already empty, isn’t the solution. The landlords need to get real and realize the economy has tanked. You can’t charge top dollar to businesses who are struggling just to pay their employees.

  • Michael D. Albano

    I have to say that once in a blue moon do I agree with so many people’s comments on here and this is one of those blue moons.

    Some reasons I’ve learned from builders and businesses as to why they prefer to no longer build or place their businesses in Dearborn, especially downtown west Dearborn (DTWD): 1) The cost per square foot in DTWD newer buildings is much higher than comparable buildings in neighboring communities: 2) It is much easier to build and/or own/lease space in neighboring communities because many of these communities do not have such restrictive building codes as Dearborn has; 3) In the “heyday” of Dearborn, most neighboring communities didn’t offer much in the way of shopping, entertainment and more because most were not developed yet and today cities like Dearborn Heights and Allen Park are pretty much fully developed. Therefore, many of these customers/prospects rarely have to drive out of their city to get what they need anymore: 4) Large corporations, mainly big box stores know that they can still draw customers from Dearborn and do it a lot cheaper and with a lot less effort by setting up shop in neighboring communities; 5) Many surrounding communities governmental agencies are FAR easier to deal with and have FAR less cumbersome procedures to go thru than Dearborn; and lastly 6) our closest adjacent communities have displayed much better out-of-the-box thinking than our city, a city that still continues to mainly try the old ways of doing things, which based upon the mess DTWD is in alone, shows the old ways no longer work.

    However, I still think Dearborn is a wonderful community and would not choose to live anywhere else in this area. But I just wish some movers and shakers would shake up this town and our government and make them “see the forest from the trees”, with no offense intended to the city leaders this doesn’t apply to.

    Lastly, regardless of what some may state or think about Hakim Fakhoury, Jim Parrelly, Moravian Companies or anyone else, these are people who have invested heavily and/or may invest in the future of Dearborn, and since the economy has been in the “toilet” for quite some time, since very few businesses are busting their butts to develop anything here or move into Dearborn, it is easy to criticize until we’ve walked a mile in their shoes.

    If one is more interested in placing blame instead, then the blame lies in everyone involved in the process, the builders, the businesses, our city government AND us as citizens, because most of us have sat back and simply blogged our complaints about it, with VERY few getting involved trying to make things better.

  • 48124

    hehe…wow!…all these repsonses for a “31 million dollar proposal”…A PROPOSAL!!!!!!…please remember to keep the “proposal” parerwork for toilet paper.

    Best of luck to both parties with financing in this zip code!

  • Ahno

    Ah Chole, Michigan Ave is a FEDERAL highway, not a state hence US 12, Ford Rd. is a state highway, M 153, M for michigan.

  • Sarah M

    People keep saying that we have enough Restaurants!?!?!?!?!?!? are you kidding me? You people just have no clue

  • MyTwoSenseToo

    Sarah:

    What people want is some BALANCE. Give me a reason to get in my car and spend some time in West Dearborn. I can eat anywhere. Give me a reason to get in my car and spend my money. Walking up and down Michigan Ave. looking into bare buildings is not my idea of a fun time.

  • Donna Hay

    MyTwoSense – THANK YOU! Best thing Dearborn has going for it is the Friday Farmers Market.

  • cloe

    Ahno – Thanks for the correction.

    You’re right. Being a Federal Highway makes the problems even greater than if it were a mere State Highway.

  • John Henry

    “Being a Federal Highway makes the problems even greater than if it were a mere State Highway.”

    How?

  • Lisa

    Much of Ferndale and Royal Oak is built on Woodward Ave. and there are some very very successful businesses there. I don’t think Michigan Ave. is the problem, it’s the lack of variety. I’d love to spend more time in downtown Dearborn, but I can only eat 3 meals a day.

  • Marge

    Sorry, Reason, but Dearborn IS a bedroom community. The people who live here need businesses that fit their needs. It is NOT a city people come to for things. It is not a big city with sporting events etc. Sure, there are things people come for like The Henry Ford, those working at Fomoco. But, in the end it is a bedroom community – people live here, raise their families – they stay here. This is a working person’s environment and should have the things people need. It is not a place of temporary living, full with arts and nightlife. It is always a plus to have some of that, but it is not the cornerstone of Dearborn – never will be. I think that unrealistic view of what our community is and should be is what keeps us from being vibrant. Cities are much like humans – need to be who you are – can’t ever try to be somebody else. It simply doesn’t work.

  • Donna Hay

    I wonder if the city has ever taken the time to form ‘another’ committee but one that is made up of the AVERAGE taxpayer, everyday people who raise children, work and are retired. People like our next door neighbors who shop in Allen Park “The Hill” because we have no shopping in Dearborn to see what it is they would like to see in this city. Maybe that is an idea for Hakim and Newman to consider since they seem to hold most of the retail property in Dearborn.

  • Lisa

    Just a question…how many of you in the “bedroom community” of Dearborn frequent Fairlane Meadows. Target, Best Buy, and other stores are there. When given the chance, how many of you choose to go to Fairlane Meadows vs. the Hill in Allen Park?

  • Reason

    Marge, look up the definition of “bedroom community.” I won’t debate someone who is struggling with terminology and the basic understanding of what her community actually is.

  • Michael D. Albano

    Donna,

    I think your idea of the average Dearborn resident/taxpayer being on a committee (but I think you mean commission) is a GREAT idea. We have many commissions in Dearborn and out downtowns, especially west are struggling “big time”.

    Your idea is something that is so logical, I’m surprised we (including me) didn’t think of it before. Why don’t you propose it to the mayor in an email or call?

  • Donna Hay

    Michael, as soon as I figure a way that these people can be chosen (don’t want the city involved at all) I’ll do just that – any ideas anyone?

  • food for thought

    Lisa the clientele is why the Meadows is out and the Hill is in. Also, for me the Hill is closer

  • sandy

    I live close to the Meadows but I shop at the Hill. Specifically, I go to the Hill to shop at the Meijers there and the Lowes. To be honest, there really isn’t anything I need over in the Meadows or want. It’s not that I’m frugal, I can only afford the necessities. Meijers offers certain products (grapefruit juice, yogurt, mushrooms, etc.) at reasonable prices. I will visit the Kinkos there and I used to go to the Target over there if I needed a greeting card or present.

    I shop at the Home Depot across from the Meadows. I have also visited the Walmart nearby for some fruits and veggies.

    Donna, I second Michael’s enthusiasm for your idea. Getting together a group of residents to voice their opinions on what they’re looking for is logical. Also, there’s a great deal of academic research that points to the fact that getting all parties (including residents/people who will be affected by certain projects and those who will actually use a service, area, etc.) involved from the beginning can change how people view, visit, and utilize a given area, shop, etc.

    I would also like to see government officials take a more active interest in getting feedback from residents. Personally, I had an encounter with a couple officials a couple weeks ago under the guise that they were interested in listening to my opinion on something. I won’t go into specifics because I do not want to sound bitter or like I am trying to bash certain people. I will say, though, that I was very surprised by how this was handled. The mean-spirited, condescending remarks and tone from these officials was stiffling to any discussion. I don’t want to fuel the fire of negative thoughts I’ve seen on this board, but I really did expect more.

    Donna, if my experience is any indication of how residents are treated, I can understand why someone would not be eager to approach the city with their suggestions. I always thought the “meet the mayor” type days and ability to write to the mayor were indicators of the citys’ willingness to hear the residents out and engage in a cordial, friendly conversation. I am starting to rethink my previous opinion. I do hope, though, that I am wrong.

  • Reason

    One possibility would be to form this committee as a PAC (political action committee) that could raise funds. The PAC could raise (and donate) money to political candidates committed to positive change for Dearborn. If politicians start stonewalling residents, our PAC could actively campaign AGAINST them. Money talks, bullshit walks. If there’s a resident-run organization that has significant political dollars in play, these deadbeats WILL listen…or lose their jobs to someone who will.

  • cloe

    I shop at both. I live near one and work near the other. My decision is usually made by what store that I need to go to.

    I have heard a lot of older citizens say that they like the ability to park in front of the stores on the hill. They can shop at one and then drive to another, etc.

    The variety is wonderful and the parking is free. I realize that the logistics are totally different and that you could never build something like that in Dearborn but Dearborn did have a lot of shopping before. Prices, Bloomsbury Lane, Dearborn Jewelers, Little Professors, the list could go on and on. Prices wasn’t given a choice. They city made them leave. Bloomsbury Lane went because of Landlord greed. The other two just got tired of fighting with the city.

    You can only be told so many times to “leave if you don’t like it”. These problems did not start with the current administration. The decline of the business districts started years ago when they were actually thriving.

    It is easy to drive businesses out but not as easy to get them back in.

  • Michael D. Albano

    Reason, your option is one worth considering, but unfortunately we need immediate action because our downtowns are dying on the vine, even west Dearborn which has many newer buildings. It’s not just the user paid parking either, but in my opinion, the economy and poor timing of building new buildings, lots and especially 2 parking garages when soon thereafter the economy went into the toilet.

    Therefore I believe a local Commission would be the quickest way to attempt to resolve this issue, because although what the commission votes upon can ONLY be approved and/or implemented by the Mayor and/or City Council, at least city leaders do take the commissioners votes/recommendations pretty seriously. I know this because I met with the Mayor last week about my serving on the Telecom Commission with ideas I had to significantly improve this commission and he gave me the “go ahead” to start working on and implenting my ideas, ideas he has had, but it requires I put it on the agenda and commissioners vote on it with a simple majority being able to present it to council and the mayor. Since the mayor loved my ideas and they also coincided with his, I believe there is a 80/20 chance they will be implemented.

    Donna, I know his won’t please some, but all official unpaid City of Dearborn Commissioners MUST apply with the Mayor’s office, the Mayor must approve them and then Council simply follows through officially at a council meeting to get them aboard.

    But there is the WDDDA and some other downtown west Dearborn committees, which may be another option, since they’ve been “stuck in quagmires” for the past year. Perhaps some new CIVIC, citizen blood with NO personal agendas are what is needed here.

    Anyhow, those are my thoughts…

  • http://explorer MARY

    Amen, food for thought.

    and cloe, yes…..Fakhoury is the one who has held up our west dearborn. GREED.

    we do need more privately owned businesses. No one can afford his rent.
    so the buildings sit empty, ….
    and if students want to live here there is a house for rent on every corner. has anyone noticed really, that u of m Dearborn is a majority commuter school??

    At least we had hope when the dream was over…..but most likely nobody could afford what he would want to buy the buildings either.

    so we are cooked.

  • Donna Hay

    Michael, I don’t care about commissioners or getting the mayors approval – if we have to go thru all that crap then forget the whole thing because nothing seems to happen on these commissions.

    Sandy, I made a call the other day and the city employee that I talked to might just as well have called me a liar. I had told her that I called previously and explained the information I was given and she said “you were never told that”! If the economy wasn’t as bad as it is I would have reported her immediately but I would hate to be the cause of someone being put out of a job now. Just my feelings.

    When you get right down to the nitty-gritty of this it doesn’t make any difference what we want it’s entirely up to the retailers. Do they see anything that will bring them into Dearborn? I hope for all our sakes that they do.

  • Reason

    Michael, why would we want to add to another layer of the city beaucracracy that isn’t working? A political action committee would be outside the city government, uninfluenced by any politician, funded by private citizens’ donations, and it would be holding politicians accountable by going after them if they don’t DO anything positive for the city.

    City leaders might feel a bit more at-risk when re-election time comes. If we could find a good candidate to challenge O’Reilly, and fund this new candidate’s campaign…or if we think Councilperson X is dragging this city down, we fund a campaign AGAINST him/her…these are the type of things we need to do in order to motivate our current crop of deadbeats. If they know a well-funded group of citizens is watching their every move, they’l start listening. They’ll have to.

  • Michael D. Albano

    Reason,

    Coincidentally, not long after you mentioned someone forming a PAC, I had a call yesterday when I was at the Telegraph Cruise that was from one of the wisest, young, out of the box thinkers I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting in Dearborn. This young man has become a close friend and confidant of mine.

    For over a year, he has suggested starting a PAC, 501K or other type of non-profit group that is totally dedicated to bringing Dearborn back. His idea involved us getting other dissatisfied citizens together to form this group that could contact the movers and shakers in the Dearborn business and civic community. But I felt that a year ago was not the time to form this because an election was coming up and we needed to see what if any changes there might be in the elections.

    Today I believe is the time to form this type of citizens committee and I now totally agree with you and Donna that to do it the other ways I suggested, the old ways that take FAR too much time, simply won’t work.

    Therefore, today and tomorrow I’m going to do the “grunt” work to research what the State of Michigan requires to set it up, along with working on setting up a voice mail box or wireless phone dedicated to the group, along with all the other steps to quickly organize and set up this group/committee.

    This young gentleman says he will entirely fund the set up is very busy with his job, which lately has required a lot of travel, therefore I am going to do whatever it takes to set this all up and he can chair it. Mostly likely due to his work schedule, I will be the local “buffer” and/or contact for this group.

    But one thing I won’t do, is participate in personal or group attacks on current city leaders because believe it or not, there are some city leaders who ARE on the same page we are on and I truly believe it would be totally foolish to make any of our current city leaders our enemies. Like it or not, I believe the main goal of this group is to make these leaders see “the forest from the trees” and nicely, but VERY firmly let them know that the current modus operandi is OBVIOUSLY not working and has NOT worked for quite some time. I believe that we should let leaders know that we want them to work with us.

    As a last resort, if our agenda is legal, moral and ethical, then I believe that if some city leaders refuse to listen or help us, or if they back us into a corner, then and only then should we 1st just work with the ones that agree with our objectives and lastly, if some leaders want to personally attack us, we will continue to work towards our agreed upon majority positive goals and offer action, but silence towards the ones attacking us. Because silence towards ones that might be foolish enough to attack us, speaks louder than words and it shows that we are not stooping to low class attacks back. And eventually they will learn that their attacks or not getting reactions from us and they will be either forced to work with us, or simply have to shut up.

    I hope that makes sense and as soon as I know the committee is set up, and after I get the “go ahead” from that bright young gentleman, then I will post it on this blog and perhaps Facebook.

    In the meantime, if anyone wants to write me on my direct email at mdalbano@yahoo.com with more suggestions or constructive criticism, I am all ears… Thank You…

  • Donna Hay

    Michael, please add me to your list of people that would like to help on this project – I think it’s a great idea.

  • http://explorer MARY

    I have an idea, but probably wont work.

    Why doesnt the city buy some of those buildings from fakhoury and sell them for a low price to some decent private busines owners who would like to open something different for our historic West Dearborn town.

    maybe the city could give a temporary tax credit to the private developer.

    Why wouldnt that work? could it happen or is it a pipedream?

    Since we are all dreaming here, I thought I could give you one of mine.

  • Michael D. Albano

    MARY,

    Here are some reasons why the city will not buy Fakhoury’s buildings:

    1) The city has projected a $20 million budget deficit for the 2010 fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2010 to the end of June 2011 and the city is trying to cut everything they can, such as 6 wonderful small pools, employees, services, etc.

    2) The city is in a lawsuit with Burton-Katzman (BK) over BK’s failure to follow through with building a hotel and some other businesses adjacent to the 2 parking garages, a lawsuit that may take years to complete, with no guarantee of the city winning the lawsuit.

    3) The city is STUCK owning and paying for these 2 parking garages which cost taxpayers negative cashflow from the budget to the tune of $11.5 million of the $16 million the city spent to upgrade the parking lots, build the garages and install the meters, with many not happy at all having meters reinstalled after Orville Hubbard removed them decades ago.

    4) The city did own some properties and buildings and has sold most of them, but what usually has happened is that the city loses money when they sell them, which is another drain on our city budget.

    These are just some of the reasons, but if times were better or if we could go back to the days where Ford Motor Company paid 82% of our property taxes, instead of the current 20% they pay, your idea would work.

    Have a nice day…

  • cloe

    Why hasn’t anyone mentioned the Chamber of Commerce. It is the main part of their job to bring and keep businesses into the area. Dearborn’s chamber has always worked with the big guys (Ford Motor, Ford Land, Oakwood Hospital).

    And again, it is the Landlords who set the rents. No small business can afford the rents.

    Mary – I agree with you. The City should at least take over Fakhoury’s condemned buildings. If your house was condemned, it would have to come down. The previous administration had no problem taking Prices by eminent domain for “the MASTER PLAN”. I can’t believe that part of the “MASTER PLAN” is letting Fakhkoury ruin the city, but that seems to be what is happening.

  • MyTwoSenseToo

    Cloe:

    I don’t believe the Chamber’s main job is to bring business to the City ~ only work with what is already here. And the fact that there is very little of both….one would have to say that maybe it is time to examine employee and budget cuts in that area.

    Michael D. Albano:

    Did I miss something? Are you setting yourself up to run for an elected position in this city? Not meant to be sacastic but enquiring minds want to know. You seem to have a handle on a lot the nuts and bolts of the city. It is refreshing since none of our elected officials seem to.

    My take on all this: Is the Mayor possibly waiting for the supposedly “High Speed Rail System” to bring billions of dollars in new business to the city of Dearborn?

  • cloe

    Mr. Albano – Most of those buildings are condemned. Why isn’t the city just take them down.

    Those buildings have been listed, more than once, on the State foreclosure lists.
    Why can Fakhoury get away with things that none of us could.

    If your house was condemned, how long do you think it would take the city to tear it down.

    MyTwoSenseToo: I disagree.

    The Chamber of Commerce is promote businesses and business districts. Part of promoting a business district is getting new business into it. If there is no business in a district, there is no need for a chamber of commerce.

  • tdogg

    My wife and I used to live in an apt off Warren in the late 70s. We drove down Oakman and then turned onto Warren and really took a look around at the development. I suspect that the owners sold very low after we moved away, and made this type of investment and profit possible. What a great street!

    The preferred developer program does the opposite – it creates a really high cost, high debt property that must generate high revenues to be profitable. Not likely to happen. I wouldn’t put my own money behind it, and I don’t recommend that taxpayers do so either.

    So . . . isn’t it better to let the economic nature take its course, and eventually have the owners either sell or rent the real estate at its real value? Organic development will follow Newman and HF “moving on” at true market rates.

    We have a tremendous asset in the thousands of folks who have moved to Dearborn from all over the world, and plowed money into this community – this is the economic driver we want to channel into West Dearborn, not a City driven investment.

    Change is good.

  • Michael D. Albano

    MyTwoSenseToo,

    Thanks for the kind words, but no, I am not running now or in the future for any elected office. I’ve sat in elected offices and I currently sit on some appointment commissions. The bureaucracy that one must navigate in these types of positions is far too cumbersome and it is next to impossible to get anything done. I am a “Type A” personality and if the issue is that important, then all I need to hear is “that it can’t be done” and then I take that as a personal challenge to focus on getting it done.

    Other (but not all) reasons I believe that it is too hard to get anything done in a bureaucracy are that: most politicians who have the best of intentions initially seem to get too caught up in what eventually becomes their own “little kingdoms” which most will protect at all costs; in order to pass the agenda of the people they serve, they make “deals” with others about issues they disagree with, which means they trade-off votes; the bureaucracy is so cumbersome that it is overwhelming to even the best of people and the bureaucracy keeps getting bigger and bigger which adds layers and layers of procedures and departments to deal with and hardly anything gets done; and then they (as our current state reps are doing) fight each other and are more interested in placing blame instead of getting anything done for the people they serve.

    I’d much rather do it the way my friend and associate is doing which is a positive way. I am not interested in bashing leaders who attempt to stand in the way of reaching goals Dearborn so desperately needs, as I realized a long time ago that if the door is closed, there are other options to get into that door that will accomplish some, if not many of the goals most of us want for Dearborn. Only the foolish bash opponents. The wise do whatever it takes legally, morally and ethically to make their opponents their allies. However, there will always be a few who will not agree, no matter what you do. Those I prefer to not respond to negatively, because soon most others will see them for what they are – leaders who are only interested in their egos and/or their own self-serving interests and soon their opinions will become meaningless.

    Using the Dearborn City Council as a simple example, I also wish people would understand that many people in these positions have honest, decent intentions and serve the public for little compensation. The problem I see is that even though most all have the best of intentions to serve the people they represent, as they get more knowledgeable about the “process”, they realize that if they don’t “play the game”, they will not accomplish anything near what they want to accomplish for their constituents. This is the biggest reason I do not wish to ever serve in public office, with no offense intended to any of our fine, decent, hard working Dearborn officials. I am also not sure if I am even qualified to serve in public office.

    Lastly, I do not know anywhere near as much as you think I know, but I try my best to ask a lot of questions and read all I can to learn about the city I love, the city that contributed more to my life than anyone other than my family.

    A while back, along with 2 other involved residents, I sat down for hours with Barry Murray, City Economic Director and he showed us the entire plan for west downtown Dearborn and the Proposed Transportation Center in the Brady, Michigan Ave area. I’ve sat with the Mayor and he also took the time to update me on his and the city’s dream of building this center. He informed me that our current Amtrak station more than pays for itself and other city leaders have told me the same. Therefore, since the funding for this new center will be federally funded for high speed and light rail, since it will be a total transportation center with not only rail, but buses, cabs, limos, shuttles, etc., I think it is a VERY wise idea, despite what some others may state. The city has absolutely nothing to lose by accepting these federal funds and there is a good possibility that it will bring more shoppers and visitors to Dearborn, especially downtown west Dearborn (DTWD) which needs help so badly, and providing it is done right, along with the cooperation of The Henry Ford and other businesses, I truly believe it will be a win-win situation for everyone involved, including citizens.

    Cloe:

    I am not sure I know all of the reasons why, but I do know that:

    1) DTWD is at a point that it’s either do or die in my opinion, and since few, if any businesses I know of are “beating our doors down” to develop and/or move into DTWD, and since Mr. Fakhoury has invested far more in DTWD than anyone, perhaps our leaders know all of this and decided to work with him again.

    2) Not personally knowing all the facts and only knowing what I read, it doesn’t appear to me that city leaders are cutting any back door deals with Fakhoury. Instead I believe that the city is simply trying to put their past disagreements behind them and do what most residents want, which is to finally develop and bring back DTWD.

    Lastly, unlike this fine blog, most people I talk with when I am out and about or on the phone are not negative about Fakhoury and simply want to see progress. In other words, they’re not interested in placing blame and are more interested in resolving DTWD issues.

  • cloe

    Tdogg – The part of Dearborn that you mentioned is alive and thriving and hardly ever mentioned in this blog.

    It is wonderful to see people out and about shopping, eating, and enjoying life.
    The surrounding community support the local businesses which are small and family owned . The area also draws a huge following from the suburbs for the quality of the food at the restaurants and the atmosphere of the area.

    People sit on their porches and children play outside with their friends. It is a sense of community and where you have a strong sense of community, you have thriving businesses.

  • Reason

    Michael, it’s often necessary to go after politicians that aren’t doing what you (collectively) want. It doesn’t need to be negative. You can attack their decisions and beliefs without attacking them personally. Positive “campaigning” is good, but so is campaigning that holds politicians accountable for the b.s. that they continue to perpetuate. Backdoor politics can be stopped (or at least limited) only if these politicians who are involved are exposed. That might feeluncomfortable for you, especially if you personally know or like them, but the fact of the matter is that if they aren’t doing right by us– no matter how good their intentions are, or how nice they are– they NEED to be publically exposed. Then they either change their ways, or we work to remove them.

  • Michael D. Albano

    Reason,

    I have no issue with going against “crooked” politicians that operate on greed or think that they’re above the law. In a way, I did this in a condo association I lived in, where we had a corrupt board that also owned the company that managed our properties. I wrote the letters and made the calls to homeowners, along with a volunteer group of homeowners. This resulted in a “Special Election”, most commonly called a recall, and before the recall election could transpire, the board members resigned.

    But it was not over at that point. I contacted every governmental agency available to further pursue these board members corruption. Within a few months, the CA. Department of Real Estate (DRE) shut their property management business down. When they tried to open up another property management company, the DRE rejected their application. Then because their property management company was marking up goods to the association, we filed a civil lawsuit to win back the markups, which was settled in arbitration.

    Because they were charging sales taxes without a resale license, I turned them in to the CA. State Board of Equalization and they had to pay a hefty fine and repay the state for the past sales taxes with interest. I turned them into the IRS and CA. State Franchise Tax Board and other governmental and regulatory agencies.

    Between all of the above penalties, fines, interest, attorney fees and most of all the $250,000 net income they earned per year off of our association, it cost this group of self-interested, lying, corrupted board members and their now closed management company well over one million dollars.

    Not long afterwards we obtained a new board of directors and while it took a long time, we turned the condo complex into the Taj Mahal of complexes, but it was the hardest job we ever did and we did it for no pay or benefits, because it was the right thing to do.

    For over a decade I could not buy a new car because it seems “someone” was breaking the windows in my car with bricks, slashing and letting the air out of my tires, keying my car and more. Some “gangsters” I assume were affiliated with these same former board members threatened my life or body harm on more than one occasion. Even shotgun shells were found outside my windows, which I am assuming was some type of warning, but I never, ever let up.

    Those type of politicians or people who are supposed to serve their constituents and are PROVEN corrupt, I have NO problem with going after their “jugular”, as they deserve everything they get.

    However, if it is simply inept politicians or ones that simply do NOT do what their constituents want, and/or are not able to see the forest from the trees, then I prefer to simply show by example why our candidate(s) are better, and usually these inept ones or negative campaigners sew their own “butts” shut with voters and are exposed for what they really are.

    Thanks for the input Reason.

  • Reason

    Michael, you’re way too optimistic that voters will, on their own, get rid of inept politicians. That’s why we’re in the current predicament that we’re in in Dearborn. If politicians aren’t doing what we sent them to do, it is our RESPONSIBILITY to call them out on that. Merely funding other candidates doesn’t give the electorate a reason to CHANGE THINGS UP. We need to explain WHY it’s not in Dearborn’s best interest to return Politician X to office. If we think Politician X isn’t doing right by Dearborn, it’s silly not to publicize WHY we don’t think they’re doing right by Dearborn. Otherwise the same familiar names will keep getting returned year after year after year.

    A well funded and publicized candidate isn’t enough to bring change. Ali Sayed is a perfect example of that. Voters need to understand WHY voting for Politicians X, Y, or Z is bad for them and bad for Dearborn.

    I’m not saying a PAC has to go after politicians, but if you are saying already that you won’t be part of something that goes after politicians, you’re either attempting to handicap it before it gets off the ground or you’re elimnating youself from something that NEEDS to be done.

    Just because someone loves their city or has the best of intentions doesn’t make them qualifies or able to run it. And that’s what we have to expose. This is politics and this affects tens of thousands of people and millions of tax dollars. If you worry about hurting a politician’s feelings then we’re doomed to having inept, but nice, leadership run this town into the ground.

  • Michael D. Albano

    Reason,

    I totally understand your line of thought and preferred MO and yes, at times it does work.

    However in my younger and more naive days when I utilized that method on some occasions, it came a too high of a cost, because all it did was burn bridges with business and civic leaders that I learned later I was either going to work for/with or need at some time to help achieve my own personal goals. Even more importantly, I learned that this set me back in achieving the goals of people I represented, that were legal, moral and ethical goals for some very worthwhile causes.

    I learned that no one is perfect and when you attack them, they attack back heavily, which results in one going on the defensive, which leaves little time to get anything constructive on your agenda accomplished.

    Once I changed my MO from attacking them or their records to “biting my tongue” by trying my best to work with them or at least hear their sides of the issues, it allowed me to have a more well-rounded view. An overwhelming majority of these people became some of my best allies and helped me and our groups accomplish far more this way than the attack mode, simply because we worked together on positive goals, instead of always digging for the dirt on each other and having to spend more time on negatives by defending ourselves against each other. Also, no one is perfect, no one and no two people think or act alike all the time. This is just life…

    Once the majority saw that we were an extremely positive group that was serving in the best interests of who we represented and that things once thought impossible were finally getting done, then it became almost impossible for anyone to lend any credibility to the agendas of the ones who opposed us and the very few left simply resigned or did not run for re-election.

    While it is not hard to change my opinion on something when new, relevant facts are presented to me, or someone allows me to see something that I have missed, nothing, absolutely nothing will ever make me focus on being negative and attacking leaders that we may need down the line. It is NOTHING but negative energy that destroys everything around it, everything.

    Thank you for your input Reason and I hope that one day, you see the Reason in my thinking and actions on how I prefer to accomplish worthwhile goals.