Construction equipment started crushing walls on Wednesday as the city made good on its promise to raze the abandoned Frederick Douglass Homes complex, formerly known as the Brewster-Douglas housing project at I-75 and Mack.
Home to Diana Ross and the Supremes, the projects had closed in 2008, leaving behind an eyesore and a venue for trouble.
On Wednesday, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan were on hand for a press conference at the site to launch the demolition project, Fox2 reported.
"In addition to becoming an eyesore on our city's landscape, this site became a haven for criminal behavior," Bing said, according to Fox2.
A $6.5 million federal grant will help pay for demolition and soil remediation for the 18.5 acres that is expected to be redeveloped, Fox2 reported.
