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Things that make you go hmmmmm

What’s Matty Moroun doing on Dobel?

Director Delbert Brown appeared in front of Detroit City Council last Wednesday and claimed very little is going on at Coleman A. Young International Airport (City Airport) right now.

According to Brown, high fuel costs are killing airlines across the country. As a result, his operation is not currently looking for a commercial airline for City Airport. They’re simply cleaning up the terminal in hopes of attracting more private planes, and council seemed less than impressed with the revenue potential for that plan.

Still, the airport continues to buy up houses in the area and has upped the payment for said houses. A good source told me the other day that some properties have recently sold for more than $130,000, even though Sunday’s real-estate section had most homes in Detroit listed at under $30,000. Hmmm.

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Other sources have told me that Manuel (Matty) Moroun – who, among other things, owns the Ambassador Bridge and the old train station in Detroit – is also snooping around the neighborhood, looking for tax lien houses. Hmmm.

Just like me, most people who live, work and worship in the neighborhood are hmmmm-ing, too. Nobody in charge seems to be talking anymore about the “master plan” for the neighborhood, which continues to deteriorate with every departure.

And if you’re thinking that the $130,000 price tag for houses in the area should be enough to keep people content right now, think again.

Most of the property appears to be owned by people who don’t live in the neighborhood anymore; the owners – likely dreaming about a big windfall from the airport someday – purchased the houses years ago and rented them out.

From the looks of the area, many wore the hat of slumlord. Those slumlords, not the renters, will reap the benefits of whatever scheme is under way in the area.

The whole thing stinks, makes me go … well, I cannot say it in this forum.

Comments, Pingbacks:

Comment from: denniscc [Member]

Mike

If Manny Maroun is involved I'm sure somebody out there will be losing their home or their job. Personally I think the world would be a better place if he took a flying leap off his own bridge. The guy's made a career out of screwing people just to pad his own bank account. Now I know what Bugs Bunny meant when he said "WHAT A MAROUN"

CC

Permalink 05/14/08 @ 20:04