First round of contracts awarded to secure houses for rehab under Proposal N: 5 of 6 winning bidders are Detroit companies

2021

First round of contracts awarded to secure houses for rehab under Proposal N: 5 of 6 winning bidders are Detroit companies

  • 5 of 6 winning bidders selected through purchasing process are Detroit-based and black-owned
  • 6th winning bidder is a joint venture between another black-owned Detroit company and a suburban-based business
  • Work will begin the process of securing the first of 276 properties for future rehab
  • Work can begin immediately following City Council approval of contracts

In asking the voters to approve Proposal N, city officials committed that Detroit residents and companies would have the opportunity to do a large portion of the work. Today, Mayor Duggan announced that the majority of the very first Proposal N contracts to clear out vacant homes to prepare them for future rehab will be awarded to companies headquartered in the City of Detroit.  

A total of 23 contracts (each with 12 properties) valued at nearly $700,000 have been awarded six winning bidders through the city’s procurement process. Five of those companies are headquartered in Detroit and also black-owned.  A 6th winning bidder is a joint venture between another black-owned Detroit business and a suburban company.   

All companies also have committed to hiring well beyond the required 51% Detroit resident workforce to perform the work. An average of 78% of the workers assigned to the 23 contracts will be Detroiters. All 6 companies exceeded the requirement to have at least 50% of their workers be Detroit residents, ranging from 63% to 100%.

“We said from the beginning that Proposal N was going to be about two things: a greater emphasis on saving vacant houses by rehabbing them and putting more Detroiters to work,” said Mayor Duggan. “Like the demolition contracts we awarded in January, these contracts show that there is the talent right here in Detroit to rebuild Detroit.”

As soon as this week, the first of the 23 clean-out contracts will be submitted to City Council for approval. Under those contracts, the City’s Demolition Department proposes to hire the companies to clear out 276 vacant properties of trash and debris as a first step in preparing them for future rehab.

Subsequent preservation steps will include roof repairs (when needed) to keep the elements out and installing durable Clear View panels on the windows and doors to improve the appearance and provide more protection against unauthorized entry into the houses.

The companies selected through the city’s procurement process are:

 Company                                                     # of properties awarded

Gayanga Co.:                                                 96
Keith Construction:                                     72
GTJ Consulting/MWV Environmental:  60
P & P Group:                                                  24
Detroit Grounds Crew:                                12
Motor City Preservation:                             12
 

Overall by District

District 1 – 16
District 2 – 8
District 3 – 84
District 4 – 32
District 5 – 44
District 6 – 52
District 7 – 40
Total – 276 properties. Total award of $692,768.28                          

MWV Environmental Services Inc. (“MWV”) is the only Detroit-based, Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, and Veteran-Owned environmental services company in Detroit. MWV specializes in asbestos abatement services throughout Detroit and southeast Michigan.  GTJ Consulting, LLC (“GTJ”) is a family-owned management company that specializes in the preservation and maintenance of vacant properties for institutional clients. GTJ has been providing preservation and maintenance services for the City of Detroit for more than 10 years. 

“I am so proud to be a certified partner in the City of Detroit’s Mentor Venture Program. MWV’s partnership with GTJ is an excellent example of the power and success of collaboration between companies in various stages of their business development” said Katrenia Williams, Owner & President of MWV Environmental Services, Inc. “We hope this is the first of many projects to grow job and employment opportunities for Detroit residents and contractors.”

“GTJ and MWV are very excited for the opportunity to join Detroit’s Demolition Department with this first round of trash out services.  We thank the city of Detroit for the opportunity to contribute to the elimination of blight throughout the neighborhoods of Detroit” said Blake Johnson, President & CEO of GTJ Consulting, LLC.

"At Gayanga Co, we believe blight removal is more than just demolition,” said CEO and founder, Brian McKinney.  “We're excited that we've won the opportunity to participate in the trash-out contracts of Proposal N, giving us the opportunity to clean out properties that will be restored into homes for future families. These contracts will allow us to employ more Detroiters, thus fulfilling our mission that when we get a contract, the community gets a contract. "