First Dearborn Heights House Torn Down: FEMA Flood-Plain Demolition Project

(Originally posted Dec. 9, 2o16) DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MI — The demolition has begun in a flood-plagued area of Dearborn Heights. The first of 15 houses was razed under a $2.8 million grant the city received last spring from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, The Press & Guide reported.

The city applied for the grant after an epic flood in August 2014. Mayor Daniel Paletko said demolition of the 15 homes in the flood-prone area should decrease the likelihood of flooding in some other nearby properties.

“There really was no engineering solution to prevent the flooding in those residential homes,” Paletko said. “We had to come up with a solution, and I think this is the best thing for these residents and the community in total.”

An independent appraiser determined the price the government would pay to acquire the houses for demolition.

» For more on this story, go to the Press & Guide.

Photo by Russ via Flickr Commons