Mayor Bing’s administration is secretly heading up an ambitious plan to convert six predominately vacant, blighted blocks on the east side into a multi-pronged project near Detroit’s historic Black Bottom, where the city’s African Americans were forced to live in squalid conditions until the land was demolished in the 1960s.

The six blocks, from Chene to St. Aubin and Pierce to Wilkins, is bustling with bulldozers and construction workers this morning after four days of clearing trees, tilling the land and cleaning up tires and other trash. Crews are soon expected to demolish six buildings, including houses, an old church and a school at the corner of Pierce and Chene.

It’s unclear why Detroit is keeping the project a secret since it involves a lot of city property and deals with private developers.

Not even the city council was apprised, which appears to be illegal.

So what’s going on?

A Motor City Muckraker investigation over the course of the week reveals that Bing’s administration is quietly planning to turn over the property to business developers and the adjacent Detroit Public School Academy. All involved parties, including a Grosse Pointe real estate developer, agreed to keep the project quiet until Bing makes a future announcement.

The land looks like an urban prairie with abandoned and burned-out houses, but its proximity to the Eastern Market, downtown and the freeways is appealing.

If all goes as planned, a developer will revive a long-buried creek, called Bloody Run, which sweeps through the project area. The project would expand the Dequindre Cut greenway to Elmwood Cemetery, then south to the Detroit River.

The academy wants to build a sporting complex for students across the street.

It’s still unclear what the private developers plan to do with the property or whether tax dollars are being used at a time when the city is cutting police and fire protection and numerous other services.

According to property records, most of the lots on the site are owned by Detroit, despite the insistence of Bing’s office that only a “few” properties are publicly owned.

While the project looks appealing, at least on the surface, Bing’s handling of the the process may derail it because city council is required to approve such deals. The public also doesn’t respond well to secret projects, especially from an administration that pledged to create more transparency.

The mayor’s office is expected to make an announcement on the property within a few weeks.

Check back later for an exhaustive look at the area through photos.

Got tips or suggestions? Contact Steve at sneavling@gmail.com.

Steve Neavling is an investigative journalist and former city hall reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Living on the city’s east side, Neavling explores corruption, civil liberties and the underbelly of an oft-misunderstood city.

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