More help for Morningside?

**getmoore** · February-22-12, 08:20 AM

http://www.freep.com/article/2012022...text|FRONTPAGE

I hope this makes a difference!

**dmike76** · February-22-12, 09:50 AM

Oh those corporate oppressors!!! They don't care anything for the little people! Oh wait. Just quoting some angry people on this forum. Anyway, I think this is great. Anything that can boost neighborhoods is huge for the city. Not only that, the homeowners participate in the renovations so that they learn something. Good job, Akerson. Hopefully some other 'evil' rich people can lend a hand.

**Wheels** · February-22-12, 09:59 AM

Quote from Dan Akerson:

"The contrast between Grosse Pointe and MorningSide ... is pretty dramatic. You look to the left and you see one world, and you look to the right -- and in my humble opinion, it shouldn't be that way in America, but it is."

It is the same old stock housing both sides of the street. Building new homes among the trashed and burned out old ones will just end up in the same condition shortly. The millions they are spending need to go to creating jobs and education before any neighborhood can rise up and take care of itself.

**Danny** · February-22-12, 10:35 AM

Excellent ideal. The Morningside community aroung Mack/Alter Rd up to E. Warren Ave to E. Jefferson Ave. to the borders of white dominate "Richville." went from a middle class paradise to a black a blighted instant ghetto in 35 years. It's time to tear down the Mack Ave. demarcation wall and create a real neighborhood where blacks, whites, asians, Arabs, Mexicans and Hispanics and other folks live in racial harmony.

**Gistok** · February-22-12, 10:54 AM

The Morningside area is a true tragedy in Detroit... great housing stock left to rot and abandonment. I drove down 3 Mile Drive in Detroit recently, and was shocked by the amount of abandonment and already torn down houses.

This is a cancer on the side of East English Village that has to be stopped [[if possible). People live in that neighborhood in the remaining decent houses can't even sell them for as little as $4,000. I know 3 homeowners in this dilemma.

**Bham1982** · February-22-12, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Wheels

It is the same old stock housing both sides of the street. Building new homes among the trashed and burned out old ones will just end up in the same condition shortly. The millions they are spending need to go to creating jobs and education before any neighborhood can rise up and take care of itself.

This is an excellent point, and I agree 100%.

I always scratch my head when folks think a Detroit neighborhood will revitalize based on the introduction of new housing.

The essential housing problem in Detroit is not enough people to occupy the housing. In essence, there isn't a housing problem [[Detroit housing is often nicer and more spacious than suburban housing) but a demand problem.

Ferndale housing, to take one example, is crap compared to Green Acres across 8 Mile. But Ferndale housing is valued more because of a variety of non-housing specific issues [[safety, services, taxes, reputation, etc.).

So, to fix Morningside, you have to find a way to stimulate demand. There certainly isn't a need for even more housing, unless you want to play a game of "musical houses".

**dmike76** · February-22-12, 11:31 AM

I think that the hope with revitalized housing is that you will get people that will actually move in and take care of the homes. I realize that can't be the only factor, though. The thing I liked about it is that homeowners participate in the rehabs so it doesn't seem so much of a free handout to me. Maybe it encourages people to take care of their homes, maybe it sparks a fire under some people to improve their knowledge. If they just don't care about learning anything, get out of Detroit you lazy SOB's.

**Bham1982** · February-22-12, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by dmike76

I think that the hope with revitalized housing is that you will get people that will actually move in and take care of the homes. I realize that can't be the only factor, though.

You're right; that seems like the objective, and I hope it works. He's partnering with a very respected national developer.

But, to me, it seems to be an odd way of attacking the problem, which doesn't seem to housing quality, condition or supply, but market demand.

**Kevgoblue** · February-22-12, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

So, to fix Morningside, you have to find a way to stimulate demand. There certainly isn't a need for even more housing, unless you want to play a game of "musical houses".

Hence the 8 page "L Brooks says 'I love sprawl'" thread.

**poobert** · February-22-12, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

The Morningside area is a true tragedy in Detroit... great housing stock left to rot and abandonment. I drove down 3 Mile Drive in Detroit recently, and was shocked by the amount of abandonment and already torn down houses.

This is a cancer on the side of East English Village that has to be stopped [[if possible). People live in that neighborhood in the remaining decent houses can't even sell them for as little as $4,000. I know 3 homeowners in this dilemma.

Audubon is in MorningSide and is still one of the nicest streets in Detroit. EEV still looks good, too. Why? Because people in those areas still care and will not stand for blight and crime. Those are the people who should be helped, in my opinion. Hell, move the good people from the crappy parts of MorningSide to Audubon and EEV and get them away from the scum, losers, and drug boys who inhabit the rest of MorningSide and tear apart their own houses. A lot of good MorningSide folks are walking away from their homes and moving to said other areas already!

Seems like what Detroit Works was intended to be...sadly Bing did not have the will to do it...just a PR stunt for him, really.

**hamtown mike** · February-22-12, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

In essence, there isn't a housing problem [[Detroit housing is often nicer and more spacious than suburban housing) but a demand problem.

I could not agree more! I've been a fan of the notion that anyone requesting a new building permit must demolish a structure or structures of equal square footage from the city's demo list.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · February-22-12, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

It is the same old stock housing both sides of the street. Building new homes among the trashed and burned out old ones will just end up in the same condition shortly. The millions they are spending need to go to creating jobs and education before any neighborhood can rise up and take care of itself.

I disagree. Steps have to be taken to stop the blight from spreading further, and to retain current residents before you can attract new ones. In any case the article I saw stated that H for H was going to concentrate on rehabs with this money, rather than new construction. It also appears that it will be targeted in a couple of specific parts of Morningside, where it will hopefully have a noticeable impact. I hope that this can be leveraged into more funds.

**oladub** · February-22-12, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

The Morningside area is a true tragedy in Detroit... great housing stock left to rot and abandonment. I drove down 3 Mile Drive in Detroit recently, and was shocked by the amount of abandonment and already torn down houses.

This is a cancer on the side of East English Village that has to be stopped [[if possible). People live in that neighborhood in the remaining decent houses can't even sell them for as little as $4,000. I know 3 homeowners in this dilemma.

I too re-visited 3 Mile Drive for the first time in about 7 years. Yes, the neighborhood has taken a huge tumble in the interim and become creepy. I don't see the point of trying to rebuild the neighborhood until those who destroy it have been neutralized one way or another. There is no will to do that and hardly any precedent. What is necessary is outside of our traditions, mine included. My family sold it's stake on 3 Mile a long time ago and got out of Dodge. Those are fine brick home; one of them built by my grandfather in 1929. It now has bars on it's windows which weren't there when I used to look out them. There still are property owners who obviously take pride in their houses and valiantly stay on. My respect.

**kryptonite** · February-23-12, 08:11 AM

Last week I took a friend to Cadieux Cafe and drove through Morningside after we had dinner. I used to live on Bedford and I was shocked at how much the neighborhood has deteriorated in just the last three years.

I admire Mr. Acker's dedication to Habitat, I just hope it does some good for that neighborhood. But like many people have said, how do you change a neighborhood without addressing the root problems, which is often drugs, prostitution, foreclosures, walk-aways, unemployment, substance abuse, etc. The neighborhood was getting pretty violent when I moved in 1995. Most evenings I would hear gunshots at least once somewhere in the area. Most of my neighbors had already been the victim of some sort of property crime, myself included.

**Vic_doucette** · February-23-12, 08:37 AM

I lived on Bedford just north of Warren for about 15 years, beginning in 1989. It was a great neighborhood when I moved in with the gal who would become my wife, and it stayed good into the 2000s. But waking up and finding spent shell casings on my driveway made us start to change our thinking about the place, along with all the other aggravations of living in an increasingly dysfunctional city. As our knees began to deteriorate, we decided to go for a ranch house in the suburbs. We got one in 2004.

I hadn't seen much of the old neighborhood for a while, but I had occasion to go over there earlier this week. What I saw broke my heart. I hope this money can be used widely to stabilize and improve the neighborhood.

**Wheels** · February-23-12, 09:03 AM

It's all these people that left the area's falt.

**getmoore** · February-23-12, 10:17 AM

I've lived in Morningside for 12 years. My family and I have thought about leaving more than once. I dont blame other families for leaving. We actually CAN leave now but I dont want to without at least trying to be a part of the solution first.
There are still a lot of good families here. We need to retain them. I dont know if my ideas can even be put into action but I'm going to try.

**mikeinmotown** · February-23-12, 12:30 PM

I lived on Audubon for18 years. I sold my house 3 years ago to move downtown. I only moved because I didn't want to take care of a big house anymore. Audubon is still a very nice street with beautiful homes. Most of my neighbors still live there. My friend actually is the one who named the area Morningside when the association decided to get rid of the current name NEAR. I hope the money invested will help the whole area.

**Gistok** · February-23-12, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by mikeinmotown

I lived on Audubon for18 years. I sold my house 3 years ago to move downtown. I only moved because I didn't want to take care of a big house anymore. Audubon is still a very nice street with beautiful homes. Most of my neighbors still live there. My friend actually is the one who named the area Morningside when the association decided to get rid of the current name NEAR. I hope the money invested will help the whole area.

NEAR went the way of ONE [[Organized Neighbors East) that is the area between EEV and Moross/Kingsville at the city limits. It is now known as "Cornerstone Village". That area too is undergoing some troubles... mostly empty homes and properties going rental. Fortunately the "empty lot" syndrome has not really hit that area very much.

**michigansheik** · February-24-12, 07:29 AM

Cornerstone village is definitely challenged these days...i raised this question in another thread a few days ago: how can we convince st. john to create a 'live where you work' campaign to promote cornerstone village? with home values sub $10k and many homes not totally rotted a little incentive would make home ownership there a reality.

musical houses is definitely in play....perhaps the city can figure out how to spend the $20+M that gary brown says is waititng to be used for demo to take out the rotten homes in morning side.