This article reports on the uncertain future of the Leland House, a historic building in Detroit that has been home to artists, workers, musicians, and misfits for nearly a century. The building is facing foreclosure due to non-payment of utility bills by its owner, Higgins's company.
The tenants of the Leland House are struggling to come to terms with the situation, with many fearing that they will be evicted from their homes. Some tenants have been living in the building for 30 years or more and have no idea where they will go next week.
The city's building department is under fire for its handling of the situation, with some tenants claiming that they were not notified of the shut-off notice and did not see any posted notices from DTE Energy. The city's corporation counsel has disputed these claims, stating that the law department had been working to get the owner to remedy the building conditions.
The sale of the Leland House is being negotiated by a Birmingham-based real estate investor, Ara Darakjian, who has an option to buy the building but is waiting until the bankruptcy case plays out. Darakjian's plans for the building have not been publicly shared, and he declined to comment for this story through his spokesperson.
The article raises questions about the future of affordable housing in Detroit and the fate of a historic building that holds significant cultural and social value. The Leland House has survived fires, bankruptcies, and decades of neglect, but its remaining residents and City Club may not be as lucky.
Some quotes from the article:
* "It's rage against the machine." - Stewart
* "No developer is more important than the people who live here." - Hill
* "We are survivors. I gave everything I could and had nothing left to give. The building needs to hear that it was a sanctuary for people." - Konkel
The tenants of the Leland House are struggling to come to terms with the situation, with many fearing that they will be evicted from their homes. Some tenants have been living in the building for 30 years or more and have no idea where they will go next week.
The city's building department is under fire for its handling of the situation, with some tenants claiming that they were not notified of the shut-off notice and did not see any posted notices from DTE Energy. The city's corporation counsel has disputed these claims, stating that the law department had been working to get the owner to remedy the building conditions.
The sale of the Leland House is being negotiated by a Birmingham-based real estate investor, Ara Darakjian, who has an option to buy the building but is waiting until the bankruptcy case plays out. Darakjian's plans for the building have not been publicly shared, and he declined to comment for this story through his spokesperson.
The article raises questions about the future of affordable housing in Detroit and the fate of a historic building that holds significant cultural and social value. The Leland House has survived fires, bankruptcies, and decades of neglect, but its remaining residents and City Club may not be as lucky.
Some quotes from the article:
* "It's rage against the machine." - Stewart
* "No developer is more important than the people who live here." - Hill
* "We are survivors. I gave everything I could and had nothing left to give. The building needs to hear that it was a sanctuary for people." - Konkel
. 30 years is like, a lifetime in some ways, and the thought of these ppl having to leave their homes is just devastating. I mean, can't we just find a way to help them out instead of kicking them to the curb? 
The city's handling of it is pretty shady too - how are they supposed to expect ppl to pay utility bills when they're not even getting notifications? It's just common sense, ya know?
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This is so sad, guys... think about all these ppl who've been living in this place for 30 yrs or more... what r they gonna do now? 
And the city's handling of it is super shady too... how can u just let ppl get kicked out like that? 
Interesting how the building's had so much history, survived fires & all that... but now it's about to get lost in the system. 
this dude Higgins must've been playing Monopoly with his utility bills, because now he's gonna lose the whole shebang! 
the city's gotta step in and save the Leland House from becoming a pawn in some real estate game. 30 years of living there? that's like me claiming I own my couch 
- no way, dude's been paying rent to the building for decades! 
. what's his plan? gonna turn it into some soulless high-rise and kick all these artistic souls out? 
or is he just playing nice and waiting for everyone to leave so he can swoop in and save the day? 
. 
I just can't even right now...
. like, they've been living in that building for 30+ years and suddenly they're facing eviction? no idea where they'll go next week 
. and it's not just them, it's the whole community that's being affected - the city club, the artists, the musicians... all of those people who have made the Leland House feel like home 
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. this is more than just a building, it's a piece of history and a symbol of community 
. we gotta do better to protect places like that 
. Like, can't we just leave some stuff alone for once? The Leland House has been around for over 90 years and has seen its fair share of struggles. Fires, bankruptcies, neglect... it's like it's got a badge of honor or something. 
. We all know how that one plays out. The city's building department is getting roasted for their handling of this situation, but I think they're just pawns in a bigger game. And Ara Darakjian's plans? Who knows? Maybe he'll turn the place into a trendy Airbnb spot and make all these poor souls homeless 
. The Leland House may be just a building to some, but it's a sanctuary for others. Let's hope it stays that way... or at least tries to 
This situation with the Leland House is really heartbreaking... like, these ppl have been living there for decades & now they're facing eviction? 