• Voters in 2020 approved $250M in bonds to address vacant homes
• Today’s demolition in District 1 fulfills the promise made to voters to demolish 8,000 vacant and dangerous homes in neighborhoods across the city
• City had 45,000 vacant land bank homes in 2014; today, fewer than 3,000 remain to be either sold or demolished
   

Today, Mayor Duggan joined members of the City of Detroit’s Construction & Demolition Department, council members and residents to celebrate the 8,000th residential demolition completed under Proposal N— fulfilling the voter-approved bond program’s original goal to remove blight and stabilize neighborhoods across Detroit. 

Mayor Mike Duggan speaks alongside LaJuan Counts and Council Member Fred Durhal III to mark the 8,000th demolition under Proposal N.
 

The milestone demolition took place on Lauder Street near Fenkell and Hubbell in District 1 to the cheers of neighbors and was completed by Adamo Group, a Detroit-based contractor and longtime partner in the City’s demolition program.

In 2014, Detroiters were faced with 45,000 vacant land bank homes that deteriorated the safety and quality of life in neighborhoods across the city. Because of the $265 million in federal funds the City received for the first phase, its demolition program could only be used in the most densely populated neighborhoods. A new funding source was needed for the demolition program to reach neighborhoods that were feeling left out of the city’s progress.  

In November 2020, Detroit voters approved a $250 million bond program to address the remaining vacant Land Bank owned homes in the city.  One of the key commitments of Proposal N was to demolish 8,000 structures in neighborhoods not addressed with the federal funding.  

“Since voters approved Proposal N five years ago, we have been completely focused on removing 8,000 dangerous vacant homes in neighborhoods that were feeling left out of the city’s revitalization,” said Mayor Duggan. “LaJuan Counts and the team at the Construction and Demolition Department have done a fantastic job keeping that promise to Detroiters and letting them know we did not forget them.” 

The 8,000th Proposal N demolition site on Lauder Street, completed by Detroit-based contractor Adamo Group.
 

Today’s celebration brings the city's total residential demolitions to more than 30,000 since the effort began in earnest in 2014. Another 12,000 vacant Land Bank homes have been sold and successfully renovated during that time as well.  

While the 8,000th demolition marks the Proposal N original goal reached, Detroit’s work to eliminate blight and reinvest in neighborhoods continues. The Construction and Demolition Department remains focused on building upon this progress and expanding the impact of demolition and housing stabilization across the city.  

“This milestone reflects years of hard work by our team and the trust neighbors placed in us to deliver,” said LaJuan Counts, Group Executive of Construction and Building Operations. “Proposal N gave us the foundation. It was a promise made, and a promise kept, but the work continues as we remain committed to our mission of transforming Detroit’s blight into beauty.”

Proposal N Impact Highlights:

• $250 million in voter-approved bond funding
• 8,000 residential demolitions completed
• Thousands of additional properties stabilized for renovation and resale
• Work completed in all seven districts across Detroit 

City leaders and the CDD team mark the 8,000th blight removal milestone with a group photo in front of the Lauder Street demolition site.
 

Proposal N was created with strong input from Detroit residents and passed by more than 70% of voters. The program prioritized equity, transparency, and opportunity by reinvesting in long-neglected neighborhoods and making preserved homes available to Detroiters.

With the demolition of 14946 Lauder Street, the City celebrates a significant goal reached of 8,000 properties removed under Proposal N and serves as a powerful symbol of Detroit’s ongoing commitment to transform blight into beauty across every neighborhood.