Ypsilanti Township targets 5 blighted properties for demolition
A house targeted for demolition at 2084 E. Michigan Ave.
Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com
Ypsilanti Township officials are putting in motion the process to address or clear five more derelict and nuisance properties.
The Township Board of Trustees authorized staff to seek requests for proposals for demolition at two abandoned houses on East Michigan Avenue, the former Velvet Touch adult bookstore and a home on Holmes Road. It also authorized its attorney to take legal action against a Clark Road homeowner, if necessary.
The township owns the two residential properties at 2084 and 2094 E. Michigan Ave., as well as the former Velvet Touch bookstore at 2485 E. Michigan Ave. All three properties were condemned and weren’t purchased in a recent tax foreclosure auction.
Mike Radzik, director of township’s office of community standards, said the Velvet Touch building “was pretty much falling apart” and suffered from sanitation and structural issues. The owner failed to address any of the problems after receiving a notice of violation in 2010, prompting the township to revoke the certificate of occupancy.
The building was found to be in tax foreclosure on the day the two parties were to meet in court, and the owner subsequently shut down the business in early 2011. The township took over the property after no one purchased it the foreclosure auction.
“We are now the proud owners of Ypsilanti Township’s last dirty bookstore,” Radzik said.
The demolitions will either be funded through grants or with general fund dollars that would be repaid when the properties are sold.
The property at 1117 Holmes was the subject of a lawsuit between the township and jailed landlord David Kircher. The township took legal action in April after declaring the property unfit for occupancy due to its dilapidated state.
In the event Kircher refused or couldn’t demolish or repair the property, the township was authorized by the court to complete the job and further allowed to recoup their costs. Kircher has not addressed the problem and the township is proceeding with demolition.
The township is bundling all four demolition projects into one and asking that they be completed around the end of October.
The board also authorized township attorney Doug Winters to take legal action against the insurance company and owners of a fire-damaged home at 1290 E. Clark Road. The home burned in a “very serious” June 10 fire and has remained as it was immediately after the blaze.
Winters said owners and the home’s insurer, MEEMIC Insurance Co., did not respond to calls until several days ago, but an adjuster recently told him that the owner planned to demolish and rebuild.
If a home burns in a fire and the property owner doesn’t demolish the remains, then municipalities in Michigan have the right under state law to request part of the insurance settlement to clear the property.
Two other properties in the neighborhood also burned in the last several years and one was cleared by the township after withholding insurance settlement money. The other was demolished by the owner and the property will be sold to Habitat for Humanity.
Winters said he was pleased that the owners of the East Clark home have opted to rebuild.
“It’s a very good sign that individuals are content with living in Ypsilanti Township,” Winters said in a report to the board on Tuesday. “I’m confident this property will proceed, but if it doesn’t, then the authorization is before this board to allow us to utilize those dollars to proceed with demolition.”
Comments
Christy Summerfield
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 5:45 p.m.
I would just like to say that the house pictured looks like a fine house to me. There aren't even any broken or boarded up windows shown in the picture. It may be destroyed inside but if the main structure is as good as it looks, surely Habitat or some other group could rehab it rather than tearing it down. I vote for some of the eyesores on Washtenaw being demolished first, as was suggested earlier.
Monica R-W
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 10:34 a.m.
Way to go Ypsilanti Township Board of Commissioners! Keep up to good work to eliminate blight in our community!
Black Coffee :)
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 5:04 a.m.
Good job Ypsi Township Keep up the good work
jns131
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 3:26 p.m.
What I find funny is that Ypsi is finally getting rid of the adult bookstores and Ann Arbor is getting one back. Interesting. There are a lot of places that need tearing down and Ypsi is doing just that. Finally. Isn't Detroit doing the same thing? They still have a long way to go though.
treetowncartel
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 2:33 p.m.
Its progress, and that is a good thing.
obviouscomment
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 12:54 p.m.
your map links are not working/accurate...2084 E Michigan works, but 2094 goes to "page not found", 2485 goes to 2084 again and 1117 Holmes works but 1290 E Clark also takes you to 1117 Holmes...i know i can easily look these up myself, but how hard is it to get links right and check them before submitting stories?
Cindy Heflin
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 1:39 p.m.
The links have been fixed. Thank you.
jondhall
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 11:22 a.m.
I'm a betting man and I can very well bet that 1290 E. Clark will not be rebuilt unless a deep pocket like Habitat for Humanity does it. Property in the area is going for about $25.00 a square foot and one surely can not build for that. I'm betting the property owner take the insurance proceeds and tears the building down to regain his hold-back the Township is holding until it is either rebuilt or torn down. Any takers? Very glad to see the Slum properties on Michigan Ave leaving us. not sure what might replace them on the tax rolls , but they were not paying taxes anyhow it appears.
rs
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 11:16 a.m.
Its a step in the right direction, but there are bigger blight cases in Ypsi Township such as the old old Farmer Jacks and Ypsi Arbor Bowl buildings along Washtenaw. No business will ever move into those old buildings, yank them down.
treetowncartel
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 5:46 p.m.
What do you mean, these are Thompson Block buildings in the making, give them a 100 years.
rs
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 5:02 p.m.
My point is nobody will move into either of those buildings and they are both a blight. Ypsi-Arbor Bowl was an eyesore when it was open, its 100x worse now that all the windows are boarded up. They couldn't find a buyer for a operational bowling alley, I doubt they'll find a buyer for one thats had all the gear ripped out. The Farmer Jacks has been sitting empty for what, 10 years? Its just another building waiting to become like the Grove K-Mart. I'm sure all the mechanical stuff is shot and needs to be replaced at this point (furnaces, AC, refrigeration, etc). With Circuit City, Borders, CompUSA, Linen & Things and Hollywood Video gone (and Block Buster & Best Buy in trouble) there are plenty of medium sized buildings across the state and country that will be left empty and in far better condition. Besides, there aren't that many medium-sized-building type businesses left. Its either huge stores like Home Depot, Walmart, Target type stores or smaller, more efficient store fronts that are in demand. Why wait for these 2 eyesores to fall down around themselves?
jns131
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 3:25 p.m.
That was the one on Grove Road. The one on Washtenaw needs to be divided into individual units and then turned into a strip mall. With that new pizza place I can't see why it would not happen. I did notice that the sign was gone and nothing new in place as of yet.
treetowncartel
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 3:22 p.m.
Two different locations are being discussed. I think the other article concerned the shopping plaza on Grove Road, whereas the comment from rs concerns the Farmer Jacks on Washtenaw near Golfside.
Chrissa
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 2:54 p.m.
@TDW, did you read the other article? The Farmer Jacks was falling apart, moldy and had rain and ceiling fragments falling on a regular basis.
tdw
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 2:07 p.m.
Farmer Jacks is not that old ,In fact it's in good shape just empty.The bowling alley has only been shut down for 5 months
Concerned Citizen
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 11:59 a.m.
Hey, It takes time. Also remember there is a little thing called property rights. It took months and months for them to get the judge to order the old K-mart on Grove to be torn down, and that building was in WAY worse shape than the buildings you are talking about.