Crumbling La Choy building to come down
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8100 Schoolcraft St. Photo: Annalise Frank/Axios
A major eyesore on the city's list of the most pressing vacant commercial buildings to raze is now set for demolition.
Why it matters: Dubbed the "M100" internally — Mayor Mike Duggan's 100 — the list is emblematic of a new strategy for tackling his long-stated goal of ridding the city of blight, as Annalise previously reported for Crain's.
Driving the news: Detroit is using $1.6 million in federal pandemic relief dollars to tear down the former La Choy food brand headquarters.
- Built in 1937, the massive 145,000 square foot complex at 8100 Schoolcraft St. is crumbling.
- City Council approved the contract last week.
The intrigue: Removing the "hazard" will allow the under-construction Joe Louis Greenway trail loop to pass alongside it, a demolition department spokesperson said in an email.
Between the lines: City Council also approved tearing down another M100 target — a 55-unit apartment building in Nardin Park.
Reality check: Blight is a top concern for residents and plans to remove it do well with voters. But activists and some council members are concerned the city isn't spending enough of the American Rescue Plan Act funds on causes that directly affect those in immediate need, like affordable housing.
Of note: An even more prominent demolition in the pipeline, part of the sprawling Packard Plant, is slated for a City Council vote today.
- Council previously postponed the vote over member Angela Whitfield-Calloway's concerns about the validity of a contractor's address.