Detroit gives Ilitches more time to fix blighted Cass Ave. buildings

Allie Gross | Detroit Free Press

The City of Detroit has given the Ilitches an extension of more than a month to fix code violations flagged in May on two unsecured, windowless properties the family owns on Cass Avenue.

The buildings — the former Hotel Ansonia at 2447 Cass Ave. and the former Atlanta Apartments at 2467 Cass Ave. — received notices May 21 demanding a series of corrections be made by May 30.

The correction order came days after the Free Press asked the Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering & Environmental Department about the lack of tickets at the properties. Neither had been ticketed since 2009, when the Ilitches bought them, but appeared to be in violation of city code.

After first getting a week and a half to make the corrections, the Ilitches now have until July 9 — a 5½-week extension — to make the fixes.

"BSEED sat down with Ilitch Holding representatives and agreed to give them an extension until July 9th to comply with the posted notice," David Bell, department director, said in a statement.

The fate of the two buildings has been hanging in the balance since the Detroit City Council, at activists' request, gave the buildings a temporary historical designation in June 2017.

The Ilitches had expressed intentions of demolishing the buildings. The temporary historical designation put a stay on any demolition plans.

A decision on whether the historical designation will stick is expected in the coming weeks.

A council vote against a historic designation would mean the Ilitches could move forward with the demolition of the buildings. If council votes against the designation before July 9 — the deadline for the corrections — this could potentially save the Ilitches time and money.

Local general contractor Matt Kuper estimates that it would cost $6,500 per building — or a total of $13,000 — to board up the properties.

On Thursday, the City Council's Planning and Economic Development Committee is to meet to vote on whether or not to put the designation decision on council's agenda.

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Bell said the historical designation was not part of the decision to approve the extension.

The two properties have been a point of contention for quite some time.

Historic preservationists and neighbors have been frustrated by the eyesores they say the two buildings have become — properties they deem to be historic gems and attributes to the lower Cass Corridor, a neighborhood that has been changing rapidly over the last decade.

For nearly a decade — since the Ilitch family purchased the two properties — the buildings went without blight tickets, despite the fact both lacked windows and were not securely closed, violations of city code that are supposed to lead to fines.

"We're happy to see the city issue correction notices for the properties in Cass Corridor," said Eric Kehoe, president of Preservation Detroit. "Detroit's older buildings are one-of-a-kind assets; securing buildings while they're vacant preserves them for reuse and increases the quality of life for nearby residents."

The notice posted May 21 asked that the properties be registered as vacant buildings, that owners secure a required Certificate of Compliance and that they correct failures to maintain the vacant buildings.

Detroit's Property Maintenance Code states that doors and exterior windows of vacant buildings or structures must be "maintained in sound condition and good repair" that "fit tightly within their frames" so that "rain or dampness" can't enter the building.

When the Free Press stopped by the buildings this week, the buildings still lacked windows.

The Free Press reached out to Olympia Development of Michigan, which is owned by the Ilitch family, to find out why the extension was necessary but did not hear back.

The city said extensions are par for the course.

"This is a normal practice of the department with business owners who may need additional time to comply with an order," Bell said.

If the corrections are not made by the new deadline, Bell said, the city will begin issuing biweekly tickets.

Bell also said Ilitch Holdings requested the extension "because their original understanding was that they were in compliance."

"We grant extensions as a common courtesy to property owners that are attempting to come into compliance and where there are considered to be no non-life (threatening) safety issues. Because they meet that criteria we granted the extension," Bell said.

The delayed corrections are a frustration for some in the community.

"Each month, ODM spent nearly $30 million building Little Caesar's Arena. It tips their hand as to their true feelings about historic preservation and respecting their neighbors if they can't take meaningful steps toward compliance in one month,” said Francis Grunow chair of the Neighborhood Advisory Committee in the Arena District.

Contact Allie Gross: AEGross@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Allie_Elisabeth.