In 2013, Bill Pulte along with his grandfather, William J. Pulte founder of Pulte Homes, approached Mayor Dave Bing in the City of Detroit with a concept of eliminating blight completely from an area.   Bill’s concept involved taking a specific block area and removing the dangerous and abandoned structures as well as the brush, debris, trash and dead trees to completely clear the area.  The first pilot project was a 10 block area, composed of 218 lots, on the eastside of Detroit near Eastern Market.

This began the creation of the Blight Authority, a public – private initiative whose mission is to remove and eliminate all blight elements in a community.  After his successful pilot in near Eastern Market, Bill’s efforts lead him to the northwest side of Detroit to a community called Brightmoor.  The Brightmoor Project was to eliminate 700 lots of brush, derbis, trash and dangerous and vacant structures within a 24 block area.  Bill met and organized with the Brightmoor community and set off to remove blight.  He also hired local residents as part of this initiative.  Later that year, Bill worked with the City of Pontiac, a City located 12 miles north of Detroit, to assist the City with their blight removal efforts of 550 structures.

Our Stories

2014
Mar 20

Pontiac, Detroit, MI

Pontiac, Detroit, MI

The Blight Authority next focused its effort in Oakland County, in the City of Pontiac.  Using technology the Blight Authority would survey Pontiac’s 25,000 parcels. Demolitions were completed in a “tiered” manner in which the city was divvied into 7-8 zones and those with the most severe blight were targeted first.

2013
Jul 16

Brightmoor, Detroit, MI

Brightmoor, Detroit, MI

It was chosen because it is arguably one of the most blighted areas in Detroit and if successful in Brightmoor, then the model would be successful in other blighted areas in the county.

Feb 05

Eastern Market, Detroit, MI

Eastern Market, Detroit, MI

A 10 block area on the eastside on Detroit, located a few blocks from Eastern Market.  Eastern Market began in the 1800’s and serves approximately 45,000 people during their Saturday market.