 |
|---|
| Detroit and its surrounding suburbs broke new ground by approving a multi-million dollar deal involving the area’s water authority.
MLive.com reports that the deal will give Detroit suburbs control over 300 miles of water pipelines and five water treatment plants previously controlled by the city. The suburbs will now have control over the water rates and contracting options. In return, they will help out Detroit with its debt relief and will pay it $50 million a year for the water pipe’s lease. In addition, nearly 900 workers from the city’s Water and Sewerage Department will move to the new Great Lakes Water Authority. “This is an historic step forward in resolving decades of conflict between Detroit and our suburban neighbors,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “Detroit will have the resources we need to rebuild our city’s crumbling water and sewer pipes. County leaders will have a true voice in running the part of the system that serves the suburbs.” The deal has been in the works since September, via court-mediated negotiations involving state, county, and local representatives. One of the major issues discussed in the negotiations was the $25 million water debt owed to Detroit by Highland Park, a small metropolitan area with total 2015 revenues projected to be $11.4 million. The negotiations regarding the debt fell through and the issue will most likely be decided in court. Of the six representatives who voted on the deal, only one voted against it. Brian Baker, the representative from Macomb County, voted against the measure out of concern that it would raise water rates for Detroit’s suburbs. “We’re paying more with too little say,” Baker said. However, Gary Brown, the city’s chief operating officer, disagrees with Baker, stating that the lease agreement is more than fair. “There was never any intent to shift costs to any community, and I think this lease has done an outstanding job in ensuring every community, including Detroit, will be responsible for collections and pulling their own weight,” Brown said. One method the workers of the new Great Lakes Water Authority may employ is trenchless pipe repair. Trenchless pipe repair uses cured in pipe placement to replace pipes, causing considerably less damage than conventional methods. Amazingly, the method is relatively unknown. A recent poll conducted by Angie’s List found 78% of people have never heard of trenchless pipe replacement. |
Category: Uncategorized
-
Detroit to Shift Water Authority to Suburbs
-
You, Too, Can Have a Luxury Home in Detroit — If You Have $3 Million
Former Michigan State football coach Brady Hoke put his 11,000-square-foot Ann Arbor mansion up for sale — and it’s already in sale pending status. The home, which is about 40 miles from Detroit, was listed for $3 million and features everything from professional grade appliances in an open concept space to spa-like bathrooms.
The five bedroom, five full bath house also features two half baths and a walk-out lower level, which has a full bar, recreation and workout areas and a waterfall in the backyard.
If that’s too much for you, though, then you can also consider heading to an auction to buy a home that once belonged to a mafia “lieutenant” to the “Godfather” Joseph Zerilli, a Prohibition-era gangster.
The house was built in the 1950s in Gross Pointe Park and was owned by Dominic Peter Corrado. Featuring big white columns out front and a wine cellar, the house heads to auction on June 20, after one more open house on June 14.
Luxury home builders of today often include a number of lavish features designed to make living there more like staying in a resort than owning a home. Considering that the rich and famous often have personal chefs, maids, and others waiting on them, the resort comparison may be an apt one.
Such homes also often come with guest cottages, which tend to mimic the main house in appearance and generally amount to one- to two-bedroom dwellings totaling around 1,200 square feet.
But historical homes aren’t the only ones for sale in the Detroit area. Former Detroit Lions defensive player Ndamukong Suh listed his home in the suburb of Birmingham last month.
The 7,394 square foot home is going for $3.45 million, so Suh can make the move to Miami to play for the Dolphins. Earlier this spring, Suh signed a contract with that team for $114 million.
Suh’s former home has five bedrooms, four full bathrooms and three half-baths. Amenities feature an “indoor sport court, full size work-out room, massage room and recreational area,” according to the listing from Hall and Hunter Realtors.
-
Detroit Residents Face Increased Health Problems
A shocking new study released this week revealed that 95% of the world’s population suffers from health problems, and one in three people suffer from multiple ailments simultaneously. That means 2.3 billion individuals struggled to cope with five or more illnesses at once in 2013, a dramatic increase over previous years. According to the “Global Burden of Disease Study,” the most common health problems worldwide include lower back and neck pain, depression, and drug and alcohol abuse disorders. That study’s release coincides with a local report issued this week about the unique health problems facing Detroit’s low-income residents. A University of Michigan study found that the stress of coping with extreme poverty accelerates the onset of age-related illnesses, and can dramatically lower life expectancy in the city.
“Currently, residents of Detroit are struggling — whether they are white, black, or of Mexican descent — in ways that measurably impact their health negatively,” said Arline Geronimus, a University of Michigan professor.
Last week, state lawmakers invited residents from the Detroit area to discuss concerns over toxic, possibly even cancerous, drinking water. In Flint, citizens draw their water from the Flint River, which has been poisoned by decades of pollution from auto factories. According to reports, politicians knew about the dangerous water for more than 10 months. Now, residents are demanding the state restore access to the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department’s safer water sources.
According to the studies, lower back and neck pain is one of the most common health problems, both in Detroit and internationally. More than 80% of the global population will suffer from back or neck pain in their lifetime, while in the U.S. back and neck pain is the leading cause of disability in Americans under the age of 45. Every year, Americans spend $50 billion to treat the condition.
“The fact that mortality is declining faster than non-fatal disease and injury prevalence is further evidence of the importance of paying attention to the rising health loss from these leading causes of disability, and not simply focusing on reducing mortality,” said GBD lead author Theo Voss, a professor at the University of Washington.
The Global Burden of Disease Study analyzed world health problems in 2013 and was sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
-
Secretary of State Closes 5 Detroit Used Car Dealerships Pending Investigations
Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson announced last week that her office has suspended the licenses of five Detroit used car dealers after finding evidence of suspicious transactions. “Most auto dealers are reputable business people, but if we discover illegal activity, we will take swift action to protect Michigan consumers,” Johnson said in a May 28 news release. “We will not tolerate businesses that take advantage of unsuspecting consumers and will hold these bad actors accountable.”
The office’s investigation found that the used vehicle dealers had kept fraudulent records, had sold stolen parts and vehicles, and had misled consumers.
The five dealerships in question are:
- A One Auto Sales, Inc., which sells used vehicles. It has been licensed since 2013.
- Best Price Auto Sale, Inc., which sells used vehicles. It has been licensed since 2014.
- Big 3 Auto Sales, Inc., which sells both used vehicles and used parts. It has been licensed since 2011.
- Hende Auto Parts, which sells both used vehicles and used parts. It has been licensed since 2012.
- Sold Auto Sale, Inc., which sells used vehicles. It has been licensed since 2011.
Criminal charges were also filed against the licensee of Hende Auto Parts and people from Best Price Auto regarding stolen auto parts. There is a pending investigation regarding the possibility that Hende Auto Parts employees sought to obtain clean Michigan titles for salvaged vehicles — which would allow them to be sold to unsuspecting consumers despite being unsafe to drive.
Revoking the licenses of the dealers effectively closes them for the time being. “The summary suspension, a step not often taken against dealerships, is used to protect the public,” Johnson’s press release explained. “The dealers are entitled to an administrative hearing to contest the suspension, but until then they are closed for business.”
The used auto sales and repair industry in the U.S. is worth billions, with nearly $10 million in used car sales in the first quarter of 2015 alone, and repairs bringing in an estimated $58 billion each year.
-
Report: Detroit Home Prices Hit High Water Mark
The housing bubble burst during the beginning of the Great Recession, but Detroit homeowners were rocked by the aftershocks of the collapse for years. However, the region’s housing prices have finally rebounded to their level in January 2008, when the real estate market crashed nationwide.
For the last 45 consecutive months, metro Detroit has experienced year-over-year housing price gains. And according to the latest Standard and Poor’s/Case-Shiller Home Price index, home prices rose 4% in March compared to the year prior. Prices still remain about 23% below their 2005 peak, but those prices were most likely artificially high because of the housing bubble.
Furthermore, David Blitzer, the chairman of the index committee, does not believe the market is experiencing a new bubble effect.
“I would describe this as a rebound in home prices, not a bubble and not a reason to be fearful,” said Blitzer.
“All of this suggests that some future moderation in home prices gains is likely…Moreover, consumer debt levels seem to be manageable.”
Despite the upward trend, average wages are rising much less quickly, leading to a shrinking pool of potential home-buyers. This could mitigate additional gains over the rest of 2015.
The rise of housing prices in Detroit mirrors national trends. But so far, the increase has not encouraged many residents to put their homes up for sale. Despite the steady gains in the housing market, there are actually fewer homes being built in metro Detroit compared to a year ago, while the number of homes for sale has also fallen.
Instead, it seems some homeowners are opting to improve their homes, which could help account for the rise in values. Even simple renovations like replacing old fixtures can drive up the value of a home. For example, 71% of homeowners who replaced their garage door reported an increase in the price of their house.
According to the Case-Shiller index, metro Detroit includes Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, St. Clair, and Lapeer counties. The March numbers are the most recent data available.