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Demolition Underway at Liberty Square in Ypsilanti Township

It took years for Ypsilanti Township officials to get a local housing complex declared a public nuisance, but only a few minutes for heavy machinery to bring down the first apartment.

WEMU's Andrew Cluley files this report on the start of demolition at the Liberty Square development on Grove Road.

Ypsilanti Township's blight busters team started legal proceedings against the owners of the Liberty Square  development in 2010. the physical condition of the complex was in bad shape and deteriorating rapidly.

Additionally, the Washtenaw county Sheriff's Department was spending a lot of time in the complex, combating illegal activity. Demolition work began Monday on the 21 acre, 17 building complex on Grove near the I-94-Rawsonville Road interchange.

Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo says the demolition should serve as a reminder to other property owners that Ypsilanti Township won't tolerate blighted properties. Demolition of the entire complex is expected to take about three months.

Like many, I first came to this area when I started school at the University of Michigan, then fell in love with the community and haven’t left. After graduating from U of M in the mid 1990’s I interned at WDET for several years, while also working a variety of jobs in Ann Arbor. Then in 1999 I joined the WEMU news team.
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