Ideas to help Detroit Recover

[MotorCityTrikes]

If this has been posted before I apologize but I haven't read all the threads so bear with me. Detroit needs lots of fixin' right? But no money to do so. I thought what if some of the vacant land or lots or run down houses and buildings were given to contractors who would perform the work we need throughout the city? Example: Street Lights. A good company comes in and puts in new ones and gets some land? With the condition they also clean it up, maintain it, can sell it for profit or develop it? Ok I got my flame suit on let her rip!!!!!

[ghettopalmetto]

If this has been posted before I apologize but I haven't read all the threads so bear with me. Detroit needs lots of fixin' right? But no money to do so. I thought what if some of the vacant land or lots or run down houses and buildings were given to contractors who would perform the work we need throughout the city? Example: Street Lights. A good company comes in and puts in new ones and gets some land? With the condition they also clean it up, maintain it, can sell it for profit or develop it? Ok I got my flame suit on let her rip!!!!!

It's not a terrible idea. I think Cleveland has been doing something similar in its Slavic Village neighborhood, which was hit extremely hard by unscrupulous "flippers" during the foreclosure crisis. Slavic Village Recovery, LLC [[backed by developer Forest City Enterprises) is planning to get 300 homes at little-to-no cost, invest $40,000-50,000 rehabbing each, and selling them for around $60,000.

http://www.cleveland.com/business/in..._properti.html


I'm not sure where there is any "meat" for someone to do the same with public utilities in Detroit [[street lights, etc), but I don't see why something similar can't be done with housing.

[Novine]

There's a reason a lot of that land has stayed vacant. I doubt most contractors want to be "paid" with something that can't be converted back into cash.

[coracle]

What does Detroit need to "recover"? Unless you know what changes you're aiming for you won't know when you've got them. "Recovery" in the abstract will never happen.

[Dan Wesson]

Something Biblical perhaps?

I know, I know, very abstract.

[Dan Wesson]

There ain't nothing that consists of Brick and Mortar that is going to resurrect Detroit.

It's going to take the peoples of Detroit to do the right thing.

Aye, there the rub lies.

[coracle]

If Detroit is to be the leader in Michigan it deserves to be, it needs an influx of 1-2 million people who's family heads will work, open businesses, innovate, build, run schools, manage public money efficiently, dilute the crime rates etc, etc. That would be my concept of recovery but it won't happen in our lifetime. Short of that Detroit will be in constant recovery mode.

[Dan Wesson]

If Detroit is to be the leader in Michigan it deserves to be, it needs an influx of 1-2 million people who's family heads will work, open businesses, innovate, build, run schools, manage public money efficiently, dilute the crime rates etc, etc. That would be my concept of recovery but it won't happen in our lifetime. Short of that Detroit will be in constant recovery mode.

I like the way you think, yes I do.

The solution to pollution is dilution. Be it influx or dispersion.

Both politically incorrect although Chairman Mao pulled it off.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Trikes, that is not a bad idea at all. Detroit lacks money, but has plenty of land. If it can pay for some things it needs with land instead of cash, that's great. I think they need to be sure that it includes firm rules for being productive with the property, and putting it back on active tax rolls sooner rather than later. But I think that is very doable. It would probably have to wait until the bankruptcy is over to be able to commit the land, though. Lawyers would also need to vet that state and local property transaction laws, local zoning, and federal tax laws are not violated [[example: how will the IRS consider the property in terms of payment value?). It is a thought that should be pursued.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

I like the way you think, yes I do.

The solution to pollution is dilution. Be it influx or dispersion.

Both politically incorrect although Chairman Mao pulled it off.

A little confused here. What did Chairman Mao pull off as it relates to Detroit? You aren't suggesting forced resettlement to Detroit are you? Not trying to pick an argument here, but I actually can't see what you are referring to.

[Dan Wesson]

To get people to do the right thing. If the carrot doesn't work, what do you do?
Walk away?

[Johnnny5]

Community service based general cleanup! I'd much rather have non violent offenders out cleaning empty lots, overgrown parks and litter strewn streets than have them locked up in the WC jail wasting time on the taxpayer dime. Not only could it reduce the expense of confinement, but in some it may instill a sense of pride in the condition and cleanliness of their city.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

To get people to do the right thing. If the carrot doesn't work, what do you do?
Walk away?

I'm still not really clear on what your proposal is here, as it relates to Mao and the people of Detroit.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Community service based general cleanup! I'd much rather have non violent offenders out cleaning empty lots, overgrown parks and litter strewn streets than have them locked up in the WC jail wasting time on the taxpayer dime. Not only could it reduce the expense of confinement, but in some it may instill a sense of pride in the condition and cleanliness of their city.

I think putting people to work for the city/county as opposed to jailing them [[in some cases) is a great idea. There are a lot of obstacles, though. Imagine the reaction of the parks dept or sanitation workers' union[[s) to using convict labor to do that kind of work. Disliking that work also is a very good deterrent against future infractions, better than abstract concepts of justice. I would also use people on unemployment to do "public good" work 20 hours a week in order to receive benefits. Everything from working in soup kitchens to planting trees and flowers in parks, etc.

[compn]

we could build a new detroit, a better detroit, a safe detroit.

we'll call it new delta city.

[MotorCityTrikes]

Well we gotta do something. We don't have jobs [[yet) we don't have cash and since all we have is land and people like us who give a dam let's at least put part of this great city back in working order. Complaining about the situation isn't good. Most of us didn't ask for this but if you can come up with ideas maybe we as Detroit lovers can fix it. Dang sports teams and casinos take in millions while kids freeze and starve. No wonder the Lord is holding back our blessings......

[Cliffy]

No contractor is going to want land that you can't give away for free. I still like the plan where they move everyone from the east side to the west side and demolish the whole east side and build westward. You have to do something dramatic like that because cherry picking lots isn't going to do shit.

[Dan Wesson]

Hey.....

http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...rt-for-Detroit

[aj3647]

Example: Street Lights. A good company comes in and puts in new ones and gets some land? With the condition they also clean it up, maintain it, can sell it for profit or develop it? Ok I got my flame suit on let her rip!!!!!

You just answered your own question. The land isn't quite "free", now is it? It comes with a property tax bill. It may come with a lien for the unpaid back taxes due on it. It will need to be brought up to code, which costs money. It needs to be cleaned and regularly maintained, which costs money. Development costs money.

Remember the news stories a few years back about how you could buy a house in Detroit for $1? Were those cheap houses snapped up and rehabbed and now house taxpaying families today? Maybe a few were, but most were not. Even if they were bought, most of them languished because they were bought by morons who were unprepared to pay the taxes on it or bring them up to code. Nor were the buyers, looking to turn a quick buck by flipping or renting, willing to invest tens of thousands in houses that had been scrapped, torn apart, and otherwise wrecked by neglect, theft, and vandalism. And so these properties change hands from negligent owner to negligent owner, never being developed or otherwise put to good use.

[MotorCityTrikes]

Yes aj3647 you're right but think of it this way. When you buy stock you do it in the hope it will gain value. If and it's a big if ...... we got things looking better like Street Lights that work, old buildings demolished, trash picked up and vacant lots bulldozed. It creates an atmosphere for interest in us. Then as the city looks better and FEELS better and is more user friendly property value rises. Sure it's a leap of faith for a company to come here and help us but they could also gain our business all over Metro-Detroit. You know scratch our back ......

PS ...the land would be payment in lieu of $$$ we don't have.

[MotorCityTrikes]

The only thing I can do if and when this Roush Trike finally comes out is bring a few manufacturing jobs to the city and some world wide attention.

[DetroitPlanner]

Turn Midtown into a Red Light District.

[Richard]

Turn Midtown into a Red Light District.

In order for that to work the public would need access to the restrooms

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

I think Trikes' idea is worth trying. The worst case scenario is that no one goes for it, and we are no worse off. The best case scenario is that we get some work done in exchange for giving land to someone who'd do something with it. The land given should have past-due taxes forgiven. Perhaps, as an incentive, too, zoning exemptions or future tax credits could be given, too. That's something to think about.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Turn Midtown into a Red Light District.

Surely this is a joke. All the development currently underway in Midtown would melt away as it became brothelville. To quote Richard from Casablanca, "I don't believe in the buying and selling of human beings."