Welcome back. I’m still Malachi Barrett.
Detroit has acquired all of the nearly 1,000 properties needed to install the first round of solar panel fields in blighted neighborhoods.
Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett updated the City Council on how the city collected sites through a combination of buyouts, lawsuits and property transfers from the Detroit Land Bank Authority. Mallett said, “This process has worked swimmingly,” despite concerns from residents who lost their property.”
“No one is ever, ever, ever, ever going to be totally happy with the outcomes, but everything we said we would do, we’ve done,” Mallett said. “I remember distinctly making the commitment that all owner-occupied structures would enter voluntary (buyout) agreements, they would not be condemned. We have kept that commitment.”
The first phase includes three neighborhoods: Gratiot-Findlay, Van Dyke-Lynch, and State Fair.
Mallett said the city acquired 965 parcels, including 245 that were privately-owned. The city filed 104 condemnation lawsuits. Homeowners were given the chance to sell their home for double the market value or $90,000 minimum.
The city is litigating compensation disputes in 23 cases that deal with 41 parcels of property. Mallett said half of the land involved in those cases is owned by a single unnamed speculator.
“There is always going to be litigation,” Mallett said. “Unfortunately, the city of Detroit is burdened by land speculators, some of whom we know well, some of them are recent participants in that business, some of whom whose only desire is to disrupt this process.
“But it’s a legal process. It’s a process that is driven by notice. It’s a process that’s managed by the court. It’s a process that is completely transparent.”
David Pianowski said he’s experienced a lack of transparency as his house on Danbury Street north of Seven Mile was foreclosed on, transferred from Wayne County to the city and then included in the city’s solar plan.
Pianowski paid the city $3,500 to clear blight tickets and said he was on a payment plan to cover $3,000 in delinquent taxes but missed an appointment and ultimately the house. Danielle Mertis, who lived in the home with Pianowski, said they could have stayed if they didn’t have to choose between paying property taxes and blight violations.
“Why do I have to go through this pain?” Pianowski said. “My family is suffering from this.”
Mallett said the property was foreclosed by the Wayne County treasurer in March 2024 and then transferred to the city through a quit claim deed in October. Detroit paid $17,799 for the home, according to city documents.
“This is not a circumstance where the city did anything wrong,” Mallett said.
Stephen Boyle, a District 7 resident, said he believes the solar project capitalizes on a decades-long “game plan” of abandoning properties until they must be demolished to clear the way for new development.
A representative of the Energy Alliance Group, which is partnering with the city to install solar panels, said residents shouldn’t see it as a “land grab” because neighborhoods volunteered to apply for the opportunity.
Donna Anthony, a District 4 resident, waited three hours for her turn to share her support of the project during the public comment portion of Tuesday’s meeting. Anthony simply said she’s “very happy with the progress” in the Houston-Whitter neighborhood.
Council Member Scott Benson noted there are three solar farm sites located in District 3, which he represents. Benson also said the city needs to address the concerns expressed by homeowners who have come to the council in recent months.
“I’m really proud to know we could play a huge role when it comes to putting clean energy back into the system,” Benson said.
Tricia Stein, chief strategy officer for the city, said there are 159 homes near the solar sites that will receive energy-efficient upgrades. Stein said the city is halfway through conducting assessments, with 81 completed as of Tuesday. Repairs include electrical upgrades, new insulation, doors, windows, roofs and air conditioning systems.
City Council members approved contracts to build solar fields in two more neighborhoods earlier this year. The city needs 430 parcels in the second phase, including 403 vacant lots, 104 privately owned parcels and 27 that contain structures.
Mallett said 322 of the 403 vacant lots for phase II are owned by government entities, mostly the land bank. Legal action was taken to acquire 44 vacant lots and 3 unoccupied structures, he said.
Mallett said the remaining 81 parcels are privately owned, and 37 entered voluntary purchase agreements with the city. The city will acquire the other 47 properties through condemnation, Mallett said, though 44 sites are vacant lots and three are unoccupied buildings.
What page are we on?
Today’s notebook covers the May 6 formal session. Council President Mary Sheffield and Council Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway were absent.
Dig into the agenda, read Detroit Documenter notes or watch the recording for more details.
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Sheffield scores national endorsement
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison endorsed Sheffield’s campaign for mayor, adding a national figure to her list of influential supporters.
“Mary Sheffield is committed to public safety for Detroiters, and that means police, but it also means housing, jobs, mental health, and giving people a real chance,” Ellison said in a statement provided by the campaign. “She is committed to Detroit as the world-class city it is, where families come and stay. This is why I’m proud to support her.”
The endorsement could boost Sheffield’s fundraising capacity, which has already shown to pull in dollars from outside Detroit.
Ellison, a Detroit native who attended Wayne State University, was scheduled to join a Tuesday night fundraiser for Sheffield at the Dr. Lavonne Sheffield Bridge Center Library, but he was unable to attend. The library hosted civil rights attorney Ben Crump when he endorsed Sheffield in February.
Sheffield’s father Horace Sheffield III posted Ellison’s endorsement on his Instagram page in April. Horace described Ellison as a former intern. Ellison is scheduled to attend a May 7 speaking event hosted by the Detroit Association of Black Organizations, which Horace leads.
“I’ve known (Mary Sheffield) all her life,” Ellison said in the video. “Her father is a dear friend of mine, as he is of many of you, and her grandfather is someone I admire greatly.”
Ellison served as deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee and represented Minnesota in Congress before becoming the state’s Attorney General. He was the first Muslim elected to Congress and first African American to represent Minnesota.
Sheffield’s campaign also touted endorsements from Judge Greg Mathis, Strategic Staffing Solutions Founder Cindy Pasky, Detroit Vs Everybody Founder Tommey Walker, The Lip Bar Founder Melissa Butler and two union groups – Laborers’ Local Union 1191 and UNITE HERE! Local 24.
Overheard in CAYMC
Here’s your weekly round-up of intrigue shared by residents during the public comment portion of Tuesday’s meeting, and smaller agenda items approved by the council.
The Coleman A Young Recreation Center will reopen Saturday, May 10 after a years-long renovation project. A grand reopening reception, with tours, free food and outdoor activities, is planned to start at 11 a.m.
Several residents voiced concerns about pollution from truck traffic and industrial sources as the council passed resolutions to recognize Air Quality Awareness Week and World Asthma Day. Environmental organizer Salam Beydoun asked the council to pass truck route regulations, something Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero is working on.
Felicity Mason said she has been struggling to find shelter through the city’s coordinated referral system. Mason said she’s been calling the Coordinated Assessment Model hotline since November but hasn’t received help. Council Member Mary Waters collected Mason’s information so her office can assist.
Bobbi Johnson, a 2025 City Council candidate for District 7, said Mason and her three young kids have been living with her. Johnson said there’s no reason the family should remain unhoused when considering the millions of dollars invested in housing resources.
“You’re up here to do a job, approve a budget that is supposed to be sufficient for the people of the city of Detroit,” Johnson said.
Steven Hawring, a common figure at City Council meetings and a member of the Tenants Rights Commission, announced he plans to move to Miami. Hawring said Detroit has failed in public transit and can’t get development off the ground. He will vacate his seat on the commission.
William Davis, a former city employee, said the Detroit Active and Retired Employee Association is starting to vet candidates for 2025 offices in anticipation of possible endorsements.
Local activist Tahira Ahmad accused city officials of retaliating against her for advocacy. Housing Director Julie Schneider said Ahmad hasn’t received additional home repair grants she’s sought because there’s a $10,000 limit on grants that can be provided within a 10-year period. Schneider said Ahmad received repairs worth $20,000 through city grants.
Council Member Fred Durhal III is holding a public meeting to discuss new council district boundaries that were redrawn last year as a result of redistricting. The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 19 at Edison Library.
Benson’s plan for ARPA spending
Benson plans to direct $1 million in federal pandemic relief funding toward parks, home repairs and public safety projects.
Each council member was given a share of unspent in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds during budget negotiations to boost existing programs. Benson submitted a memo indicating he wants to use it on the following:
- $450,000 for a 6,000-foot active pathway at Dorais Playground that follows the park’s natural features. The east side park is also the site of the Dorais Velodrome, an abandoned bicycle race track.
- $269,444 to install ramps in homes of seniors and disabled residents in District 3.
- $175,000 to subsidize Hand of Hope for Community Violence Intervention work in District 3 and 4. The group unsuccessfully bid on contracts to reduce shootings through the “Shot Stoppers” program in 2023.
- $150,000 for a “Green the Block vacant land strategy” in District 3.
State funds new bike paths
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation awarded Detroit $1 million for two projects associated with the Joe Louis Greenway.
The state funding will provide on-street bike facilities connecting the greenway to a pedestrian bridge over I-96 at Cherrylawn Street. This includes creating a curb protected two-way cycle track on Davison Avenue, measures to slow traffic on Cherrylawn Street, and protected bike lanes on Fullerton Avenue.
The funds also pay for an off-street shared use path along Hamtramck Drive between Joseph Campau and St. Aubin.
Funding was included in the state budget through legislative sponsor Rep. Helena Scott, D-Detroit. Scott is running for a seat on the City Council representing District 2 this year.