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Topic: Deconstruction-Detroit's new blight plan
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

In 2006 Wes Janz was part of the Genesee Institute when he wrote Flint Michigan and the Cowboy Economy. In his document he detailed that many homes in Flint were not useful for deconstruction. However I suspect there are many homes that have hardwood floors and oak trim that could be reused that have been demolished in the manner you address.

When Salem Housing was first renovating homes in Smith Village, a homeowner complained that the walnut doors and oak details were being removed from her home in the 400 block of Mary. I have heard of some nonprofits having stockpiles of doors and wood from homes they were preparing for demolition. In Carriage Town there have been police reports filed regarding thefts of architectural details from vacant homes there.

I am planning a trip to Ypsilanti to visit a large architectural salvage facility there. These places are quite interesting.

More and more magazines are hitting the market with the words flea market in the title. While reading an upscale magazine in an office, I found a recycled console table for $1400. Television shows and magazines are emphasizing how we must learn to reuse and not throw everything in the landfills.
Post Sun Apr 21, 2013 6:47 am 
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TruthTalk
F L I N T O I D

Sometimes when an insured home burns the insurance co. Will give the money to the city of flint to hold, kind of like a middle man. It's called fire escro. The owner of the property will select a private contractor at x amount of money then demolish structure. The amount of money for demolition "x" will be subtracted from the amount the ins. Co. Gave to the city fire escro (y) as I understand they then subtract x from y and if there Is money left over the owner gets to claim that monies. It works well when there's shady landlords that think they will "take the money and run" and leave the house to rot. I'm not sure if this is the situation on your street Starr but the shittys known to do goofy things... Just curious what street this is on if you don't mind telling
Post Sun Apr 21, 2013 9:01 pm 
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D

It may be a payment into escrow; I'll find out when the landlord gives me copies of the letters from thje insurance company & the city.
The house is pretty well scrapped out, so maybe we won't have to spend much more time cleaning up around it after the scrappers leave. The address is 2219 Milbourne, just North of Hamilton. I'm at 2224, one of the 8 occupied houses on this long block of 24. The house that's rotting and collapsing is 2238.

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Post Mon Apr 22, 2013 7:02 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

I was looking at the magazine racks in several stores. There was a big selection of magazines featuring reuse and recycling of almost everything.

old wooden windows are being used to make greenhouses and much more.
Post Thu Apr 25, 2013 6:09 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Lots of people moving. As I left home the other day, I saw a heavy real wood chest of drawer at the curb. I immediately saw the sides being used as a console table or other table. Someone had a purpose for it and I smiled to see it as gone when I returned. Lots of good furniture (not the fiberboard stuff)to be repurposed has left the curbs. Happy hunting for those who are handy with wood.
Post Wed May 29, 2013 9:48 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Salvaging banned at Flint homes scheduled for demolition


Many antiques in the Carriage Town Antique store can trace their roots back to people salvaging furnishings from vacant houses set to be demolished, Friday afternoon, Oct. 18, 2013 at Carriage Town Antique Shop.

Print
Blake Thorne | bthorne1@mlive.com By Blake Thorne | bthorne1@mlive.com
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on October 20, 2013 at 6:00 AM, updated October 20, 2013 at 6:16 AM

FLINT, MI -- The organization overseeing the demolition of hundreds of Flint homes has banned salvagers from entering them and taking materials before they are razed.

Unlike black market copper and metal thieves, there is a legitimate trade in salvaging materials from forgotten homes. Some of these people say there is surely value to be found in the 1,600 homes targeted for demolition in Flint.

"Like banisters and chandeliers and stained glass windows," said Nick Hoffman. "All those artifacts from the house. The details of the home ."

Hoffman runs Carriagetown Antique Center in Flint. He sees the demand for pieces like this all the time, what he calls architectural salvage.

"A lot of people want the new houses, but they want the vintage look," Hoffman said.

The Genesee County Land Bank, however, is not allowing people to salvage these homes before teardown, even though some people are inquiring, said Doug Weiland, the executive director of the land bank.

The contractors who are demolishing the homes, however, are able to recycle what they can.

"Anything from concrete to structural steel, sometimes copper, depending on what's there," Weiland said.

The demolition contractors estimate this recycling will offset a part of their operating cost. They then account for that savings when placing bids for the demolition projects, Weiland said.

"Demo contractors base their prices on what they can salvage," he added.


One demolition company says they rarely find anything of value left.

"When we get in these houses, they are so gutted out and trashed," said Kyle Burnash, vice president of Burnash Wrecking.

Burnash Wrecking has been doing demolitions in the city since 1940.

Typically, the houses have been stripped by thieves by the time demo crews get there.

"If you're lucky, some of the siding that they couldn't reach (is left)."

As far as allowing a third-party salvage operation in the houses, the Land Bank does not want to deal with liability issues if someone gets hurt, Weiland said. Also, many of the people who are caught illegally scrapping from houses make the claim that the Land Bank said they could be here. This is never the case, Weiland said, and allowing some to scrap may make it difficult to sort out who actually has permission and who's lying.

Weiland said the Land Bank may be open to the idea of allowing people to salvage homes before they are demolished, if an organization presented the agency with a thorough plan.

Tadd Morris runs 2nd Chance Wood Company in Shiawassee County, which collects and resells reclaimed lumber, often from homes and barns they take down.
Of the 1,600 Flint properties slated for razing, there is value to be found, he said. It's a matter of finding the right use for the material and finding a cost-effective way to collect it.

For example, he said, old construction lumber can be reused or busted up to burn at the Flint power plant to offset coal burning costs.

Even old cinder blocks can be resold and shingles and be recycled into asphalt for roads.
"There's a lot there," Morris said. "The question is, how much does it take to recoup that?"

Morris typically tears down barns and other farm buildings. Though there's value in Flint's homes, he said he has his hands full in Shiawassee County.

"Our crew does a barn every three weeks," he said. "We have 125 on the list to do, not including the hundreds we've said no to."


Hoffman also said he's got his hands full.

"I don't have the time to go architectural salvage," he said.

Weiland, however, said at least one organization from the Detroit area is forming and is interested in presenting a plan to recycle materials from these homes. When reached by The Flint Journal, an official with that group said they aren't ready to talk publicly about their plans yet.




Blake Thorne is a reporter for MLive-The Flint Journal. Contact him at bthorne1@mlive.com or 810-347-8194. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
Post Sun Oct 20, 2013 6:52 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Artisan shop with a re-purpose: Detroit store to sell furniture made from vacant homes


By Perry Chiaramonte/
Published November 29, 2013/
FoxNews.com


This furniture is not only made in Detroit, it’s made from Detroit.

A new store opening today in the Motor City is putting materials salvaged from Detroit's abandoned homes to good use by repurposing it for made-to-order furniture. Called “Workshop,” the store will be open through the holidays selling benches, tables, and other home goods in a pop-up location in the city’s Fisher Building. Most items will be made to customer specifications, but the showroom currently houses seven items--four benches and three tables--all made from the wood of an abandoned home located on the far West Side of the city.

“It’s more about filling a need,” Workshop co-founder James Willer told FoxNews.com. “Nothing is as important in my mind as dealing with these abandoned houses.

"We feel it’s critical that all this material is put to good use.”

This is not Willer’s first foray into the reclamation of the decaying homes in Detroit. He was one of the original founders of a group called Reclaim Detroit, which since 2011 has sought out to salvage materials from nearly 80,000 abandoned homes in the beleaguered city through a process dubbed deconstruction.

Deconstruction is a relatively recent urban planning trend in which a structure is carefully and systematically dismantled with the intent of saving the most useable materials for future use.

“We are turning the page here in Detroit,” Jeremy Haines, who currently heads Reclaim Detroit told FoxNews.com. “There is a flipside to the blight. There’s a stockpile of materials.”

“It’s an opportunity to do something positive. We are helping to bring industry back to the city,” he added.

In the wake of the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, Detroit is rebranding itself as the DIY, or do-it-yourself, City, with projects such as urban farms, small businesses selling locally made products, and residents pitching in to handle municipal upkeep. Reclaim Detroit and Workshop are firmly entrenched in this new ethos among the locals, who are committed to bringing Detroit back from the brink.

Willer hopes that Workshop will grow and provide opportunities for development as well as job growth.

“I have a feeling that we will be growing fast,” he said, adding that Reclaim Detroit will be supplying them with more reclaimed wood from two more deconstructed houses.

Proponents of Deconstruction claim that it is financially beneficial to a municipality to repurpose the materials.

"I consider it a natural resource and asset right at our front door,” Willer said.

Willer says that it is the main motivation for starting projects like Reclaim Detroit and Workshop.

“I’m not looking for a pat on the back,” he said. “I’m looking for the city to spend money the right way.”
Post Fri Nov 29, 2013 5:07 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

The Gardner White furniture ad in the Detroit papers this week featured a table made from reclaimed wood and given a top made of zinc. While it was on sale, the original price was $2989.

Is someone harvesting from homes about to demolished. I notice door missing as well as windows and other features?
Post Fri Nov 29, 2013 5:11 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Home Tips World

107 ! - Yes, One Hundred Seven Pallet Projects. Wow.
pallet projects here ==> http://www.diyprojectsworld.com/107-great-used-pallet-projects-and-ideas.html

Amazing what you can do with pallets. I think it will never end. Please share this post on Facebook.
Post Sun Jan 19, 2014 6:26 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

I keep seeing projects on facebook using recycled wood and pallets. A rustic home was made with reused lumber and a garden bench and a chicken house complete with planters was made out of pallets.

Today's Detroit Free Press featured recycling and updating wood furniture from thrift shops.
Post Sun Jan 19, 2014 6:28 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

http://www.diyprojectsworld.com/25-great-ways-to-use-pallets-in-your-garden-and-home.html

Please share this post with your friends on Facebook.

Follow us ---> https://www.facebook.com/hometipsworld
Post Fri Feb 28, 2014 5:14 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

I have not driven the streets much this winter. I drove some of my neighborhoods yesterday and it was a real downer. I don't know how much longer I will stay in Flint. So many more homes are abandoned, even in neighborhoods once considered stable. Parts of Chevrolet are just gone.

Demolition underway on Mackin and more to come with that proposed 1700 house demolition plan in effect. Do we really need the debris from 1700 houses in our landfill?

Todays Detroit Free Press has a cover story detailing the obstacle to a major blight removal. However way back on page 15 A they bring up the issue of needing a deconstruction industry. Tear-down program needs to find ways to salvage and recycle bricks and wood by John Gallagher appeals to the conservation part of me.

Gallagher denotes the difference between Demolition vs Deconstruction. If "demolition" refers to bulldozing a house and burying the debris in a landfill, "deconstruction refers to carefully salvaging as much material as possible with a goal of recycling wood, brick, and other materials. Recycling creates additional jobs and is easier on the environment.

For more information on deconstructing Detroit's blighted buildings, visit
http://reclaimingdetroit.org.
Post Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:29 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Granted, those who have invaded many vacant properties have not left much of many homes to salvage. The level of destruction in some commercial and residential properties is pretty unbelievable. Some must just be for the joy of destroying something as I don't understand the level of destruction.

But as I drove around, some remaining homes that are boarded up have beautiful doors left. Glass can be recut to fit broken windows in warehouses and other businesses. Many older homes still have the beautiful trim and architectural features desired by many.
Post Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:42 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Gallagher discussed current deconstruction efforts:

"Detroit already enjoys a small "deconstruction industry" in which wood and other material are removed fro houses being demolished and then sold and reused. The nonprofit Reclaim Detroit operation turns some salvaged wood into kitchen cutting boards and other for-sale objects. Artists are using reclaimed wood for tables, chairs, bookcases and other furniture."

Jacob Corvidae, executive director of the nonprofit EcoWorks of Detroit believes this deconstruction industry can have a tremendous value as to how much we salvage and how much we throw away. His estimates run from $15 million to over $50 million.

Corvidae believes careful deconstruction can be one of the safest ways to take down a house. He and other deconstruction advocates are assisting the Land bank in trying to fit the deconstruction process into demolition without complications.
Post Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:51 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Gallagher also interviewed Erin Kelly, a project manager for the Detroit Future city implementation office. Kelly believes the economic benefit of deconstruction extends well beyond the value of the salvaged products.

"We know that the net benefits of including deconstruction are tremendous in trms of job creation" said Kelly.
Post Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:58 am 
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