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Northwest Goldberg abandoned property boarded up after Detroit residents raise concerns
An abandoned apartment building that could’ve doubled as a haunted house - is a lot more secure after complaints from neighbors and decisive action from the City of Detroit.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - An abandoned apartment building that could’ve doubled as a haunted house - is a lot more secure after complaints from neighbors and decisive action from the City of Detroit.
"Injury, death waiting to happen. it’s wide open, it was wide open," said Beatrice Thompson,
City crews boarded up the property Wednesday.
Thompson raised concerns about the dilapidated structure in the Northwest Goldberg neighborhood being open to curious kids who will soon be walking past the apartments to get to a new neighborhood park a stone’s throw away from it.
"You ask your children to go to the playground, they bypass an abandoned building, climb into the open area, it’s just too dangerous," she said. "My heart was heavy."
"You have children walking back and forth, you have families walking back and forth," said Daniel Washington. "You can't keep track of them all, but you’d hope they can arrive safely to a space like this and have fun."
Washington heads up Northwest Goldberg cares - the neighborhood nonprofit that built the Curtis Jones Park.
They also had a lot of concerns about the privately owned property and are relieved the city is taking action.
"We’re excited to see the city react and respond positively to make sure that blight around the site of our park is taken care of," said Washington.
FOX 2 reached out to the city after Thompson contacted us about the blighted, unsecured building.
"It’s been wide open just like this for years," she said.
Jessica Parker, Detroit’s chief enforcement officer, says the city had to board up and secure the property because the owner failed to do so --- among other things.
"We’ve already issued 16 blight violations, well over $9,000 in fines. Our next step now because he has not responded to the city, is to pursue a lawsuit," she said.
This property, which has also attracted illegal dumpers, is in the demolition pipeline.
"We don’t want to discourage anyone from buying property in the City of Detroit," Parker said. "But when you do buy it, secure it. clean it up. Make sure that it's safe, make sure that no one can get into the property that’s not supposed to be in the property. Make sure that when kids are walking by they’re not pulled into the property.
"If something happens, we want you to come to the City of Detroit, but follow the processes, and make sure the property is secured and clean.
The city is encouraging residents to reach out to the building department or BSEED if you have a building like this in your neighborhood-that way they can hold the property owner accountable for how they’re maintaining they’re property.
In the meantime, the Curtis Jones Park is named after a local Northwestern High School hoops legend and is set to open Thursday morning.