Marathon is Buying Oakwood neighborhood

**DetroitPlanner** · November-02-11, 03:17 PM

Interesting from a public policy point of view.
http://www.freep.com/article/2011110...-Detroit-Works

**Gistok** · November-02-11, 03:28 PM

I wonder how many land speculators might come a snoopin' around??

**DetroitPlanner** · November-02-11, 03:29 PM

I can see Matty stomping his feet like Rumplestiltskin "Not fair, It was all mine once it got crappier!"

**Danny** · November-02-11, 04:23 PM

Bad ideal. Having Marathon buy Oakwood Heights would cause most Detroiters to move the suburbs. What's next buy up the ghettohoods from Fort and Schaefer to Outer Drive, too. Kick out the poor folks who work so hard to maintain that neighborhood.

**mikeg19** · November-02-11, 04:36 PM

I'm not terribly familiar with the area other then the occasional drive by on I-75, but this article leads me to ask this question: If the Marathon plant is obligated to have a buffer around its plant [[which I'm assuming it is supposed to and does), then why would they want to spend more money on adding to the buffer? I guess from my point of view this just doesn't add up. There is a reason they want this property. It's not out of the generosity of their hearts that they want to move these families from a potentially toxic area. Besides the expansion currently taking place, I'm sure along the line somewhere this "beautiful grassy area" will become more holding takes or areas for refinement. Any thoughts on this from some of you more familiar with the area?

**East Detroit** · November-02-11, 05:14 PM

Whenever I go to Gonella's, I can smell the industrial waste in the air and I wonder about the people who live around there... I bet the birth defects and other ailments are higher than average.

Sure, no corporation is 100% altruistic by their very purpose of existence, but if it gets the people out of that place fairly then I am all for it.

Kinda wonder about the future of Gonella's, Giovanni's, and maybe the salt mines.

**RickBeall** · November-02-11, 05:22 PM

Oh, don't be so negative guys. It sounds like a good thing. Bing should try to offer to move the whole neighborhood to another neighborhood that could use the population.

**animatedmartian** · November-02-11, 06:18 PM

It does seem like a lot of property to buy but in pro vs cons, I don't see a whole lot of cons. The residents can just move across the Rouge River into Delray.

**DetroitPlanner** · November-02-11, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by East Detroit

Whenever I go to Gonella's, I can smell the industrial waste in the air and I wonder about the people who live around there... I bet the birth defects and other ailments are higher than average.

Sure, no corporation is 100% altruistic by their very purpose of existence, but if it gets the people out of that place fairly then I am all for it.

Kinda wonder about the future of Gonella's, Giovanni's, and maybe the salt mines.

I would not worry about those, those are most likely far enough away. I do agree with you sometimes the smell of oil down there is so thick you can hardly believe anyone can live around it, yet they do. Anything that gets folks away from something like that is sure a good thing. As mentioned in articles, the City is up for a test. Can they get people to stay or will they move to nearby Melvindale or other downriver communities?

**kryptonite** · November-02-11, 07:35 PM

Oakwood is a fascinating area, in a lot of ways I would hate to see the residences demolished and even some of the businesses are cool - Gonella's, the Bridge Cafe, Giovannis. But like others have posted, the quality of life must be poor to bad in that area. there is no real hope of any new housing being built in the area and many of the residents may be thrilled to get an offer for their homes.

lilpup · November-02-11, 08:53 PM

Smart move by Marathon. Refinery capacity in the US is one of the largest choke points in the supply line and so is a big driver in consumer fuel costs. The NIMBYism for building new refineries is frequently an insurmountable obstacle. Here, Marathon gets to snap up the land on their own terms now for a huge payoff in the future when they eventually expand.

**Goose** · November-02-11, 10:22 PM

wonder what the terms of the offers are and what type of money they are offering....

**Hypestyles** · November-02-11, 10:23 PM

What is Gonnella's, Giovanni's?

lilpup · November-02-11, 10:39 PM

Gonnella's

Giovanni's

**East Detroit** · November-03-11, 12:34 AM

Maybe I better hurry to the Bridge Cafe. Have never eaten there... something about $1.50 lunch sounds dicey.

My bet would be that Oakwood is shut down at the bridge and on the other side of the peninsula eventually. Those huge concrete walls that are being erected right next to Oakwood seem to say that they need to contain something dangerous.

**Dexlin** · November-03-11, 02:56 AM

Originally Posted by Goose

wonder what the terms of the offers are and what type of money they are offering....

There were a half dozen different pieces done in both dailies, yesterday, on this story with all kinds of detail. Click the link.

I have mixed feelings, though, probably mostly positive. The positive is that the company seems to be offering much more than what many of those homes are worth, these days, and they even go above by offering sweetners and other services to the displaced. The residents also get to finally move out of the path of a very dirty industry, and it has been the city's plan for many years now to reserve this dog leg for heavy industries. The residential areas south[[west) of Fort Wayne have been organically carved up by these huge industrial works, anyway.

My only negative feelings are that I fear the city will lose most of the residents that do decide to leave. That, and I bet the median age for the neighborhood is high enough that a lot of the homes are already owned, outright. From what I was reading, a lot of the older folks say point blank that no one is going to give them a mortgage on their fixed incomes, and I don't imagine a whole lot of these folks wanting to rent. I do kind of wish the company had planned this better and invested with some developer in building a new neighborhood somewhere else in the city that the residents would have the option of being moved to.

**401don** · November-03-11, 07:39 AM

I can see Marathon not wanting to get too involved in development and relocation of residents but I think a simple 10,000 in extra incentive to people who repurchase within the city should have been offered.

**ordinary** · November-03-11, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

I can see Marathon not wanting to get too involved in development and relocation of residents but I think a simple 10,000 in extra incentive to people who repurchase within the city should have been offered.

But who's to say that they won't take that 10,000 and move into the city and then move out quickly. That would probably become too complicated.

bartock · November-03-11, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

I can see Marathon not wanting to get too involved in development and relocation of residents but I think a simple 10,000 in extra incentive to people who repurchase within the city should have been offered.

In addition to the $40,000 and additional 50% premium they are already paying? Those are $5,000-$15,000 houses.

**401don** · November-03-11, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by bartock

In addition to the $40,000 and additional 50% premium they are already paying? Those are $5,000-$15,000 houses.

Okay, then offer 10,000 less if you don't repurchase within the city. It just seems when DTE, etc. are offering all this money to attract people to the city there should be some incentive to keep people when you're buying their homes. This has been described as a win-win for Marathon and the residents but it's not a win for the city. Out of curiosity, will Marathon have to pay much property tax on this greenspace?

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · November-03-11, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by Danny

Bad ideal. Having Marathon buy Oakwood Heights would cause most Detroiters to move the suburbs. What's next buy up the ghettohoods from Fort and Schaefer to Outer Drive, too. Kick out the poor folks who work so hard to maintain that neighborhood.

This is, more or less, why I think the mayor's plan to condense people into smaller, denser neighborhoods is absurd. If you and your family have spent decades keeping up your property, paying your bills, and holding out, when you finally get forced out, you're gonna say F*CK THIS and move anywhere but where they tell you to go. We shouldn't kill the most die-hard Detroiters.

**Det_ard** · November-03-11, 10:45 AM

On the other hand, when someone offers you $50K for your $10K home in Oakwood Heights, a lot of people will say "Thank God, now I can afford to move and buy a nicer house, for cash".

**JBMcB** · November-03-11, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Det_ard

On the other hand, when someone offers you $50K for your $10K home in Oakwood Heights, a lot of people will say "Thank God, now I can afford to move and buy a nicer house, for cash".

My thoughts exactly. There are plenty of nice $20-30K foreclosures in the city proper, $50k is enough buffer to take care of outstanding taxes and sink another $10k in for improvements.

**Det_ard** · November-03-11, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

My thoughts exactly. There are plenty of nice $20-30K foreclosures in the city proper, $50k is enough buffer to take care of outstanding taxes and sink another $10k in for improvements.

You could easily buy a house in EEV or Rosedale. Hell, you could buy two, one in each neighborhood.