The people in the neighborhood had no say in Ford Hospital's new plans. Like a thief in the night, the hospital slowly and systematically began to buy up property under their for profit real estate company. It took some time to identify who was leaving the property vacant and open as well as the actual buyer. The early people who sold to the hospital got very little for their property. The white strippers came in during the day in their new trucks and vans and the crack heads and drunks came in during the night. It got so dangerous, we were afraid to go to bed at night for fear of being burned out. Our homes were built around 1915, many of them had french doors, beamed ceilings, fireplaces, sunrooms, etc. I always felt the tile around my fireplace and vestibule was Pewabic tile. Ford Hospital NEVER had any committment to the surrounding neighborhood. For thirty years, I met with hospital directors requesting their help in stabilizing the neighborhood. Only one person in Security showed any interest and he aided in shutting down drug houses when crack started to take over the area. I finally sold my home to the hospital, after much pressure from my family and one of their open and vacant houses directly behind me became a drug house. Ford Hospital contributed to the blight, they now claim to be some kind of hero for eliminating. The very thought of the hospital compromising our safety and destroying the neighborhood continues to piss me off. I suspect the area south of the Blvd. will be a giant parking lot and the new medical buildings will be built in the present parking lots along Byron and Pallister.