Oakland County

Pontiac Leaders Looking at City-Owned Properties, Costs of Repairs, and Future Needs

Published

9 months ago

April 6, 2025

MM Team

Pontiac leaders have a look at possession of metropolis firms, restore prices and future wants

(Crystal A. Proxmire, April 6, 2025)

Pontiac, Mi – “despatched out” is an expression that everybody who follows Pontiac’s native administration should change into acquainted. That’s as a result of a lot of the possession of town possession and buildings in States of Decay are after many years of neglect. And now town council and administration are beginning the method of evaluating which investments could also be wanted to have higher functioning departments and areas that serve the neighborhood higher.

On March 25, the municipal councilor Mike McGuinness organized a neighborhood interview during which he gave a presentation about every of the property and their wants. He shared that the administration has labored on a 5 -year capital enchancment plan that can be offered along with the price range of town, which is predicted to be launched later this month.

And though the prices might be shocking and difficult, it is very important bear in mind the historical past of disinvestment. “There was a lot revolution throughout the period of Emergency Administration and a lot delayed upkeep,” he mentioned.

Click on right here to view the complete PowerPoint presentation.

City corridor

The Pontiac city corridor was in-built 1953, at a time when town flourished because of the automotive business and a rising inhabitants. McGuinness known as it ‘very costly to construct’ and ‘very swish’.

“A whole lot of historical past has occurred behind these doorways right here,” he mentioned. The constructing is gorgeous, however it has challenges by way of “thousands and thousands of {dollars}” in deferred upkeep initiatives. This makes the query for the neighborhood to analyze whether or not it’s best to put money into repairing the historic city corridor or to construct one thing fully new. McGuinness shared that it’s his hope to keep up the historic constructing and make enhancements, in order that it may be purposeful and in current many years sooner or later.

His hope is that enhancements might be made that use the huge garden of the city corridor as a public collective house.

Public security constructing

Along with the City Corridor, the general public security constructing that homes the Oakland County Sheriff Station. This was additionally constructed within the Fifties, and there are indicators of the age, together with previous linoleum tile. The roof was repaired 12 years in the past and town has already budgeted for repairs to the cooling tower, which is predicted to be carried out this 12 months.

Hearth stations

Pontiac owns 5 hearth barracks. Town is at present contacting Waterford’s Hearth Division for Hearth and Ambulance Providers, and so they use a few of the buildings.

Pontiac’s Hearth Station #2, on South Blvd, is at present solely used for storage. Council chairman McGuinness defined that the constructing is a constructing within the diploma plate the place the ground really sinks as a result of the nation is washed away from the below -washed over time. The purposeful constructing would make an entire rebuild of at the very least $ 2.4 million.

Two different hearth station additionally want roof repairs.

DPW constructing

DPW wants are a particular problem for Pontiac. They’re at present leasing a facility at Joslyn Highway simply south of McDonald’s. Nonetheless, the placement is non permanent. “We’re welcome an excessive amount of,” mentioned McGuinness.

Along with non permanent, the house is “actually tight, actually inadequate to get providers to our residents.” One of many issues is that they’re unable to maintain provides at hand, similar to a chilly patch for roads or elements which are wanted for repairs. The power to avoid wasting salt can be restricted. Not having the ability to be in want means further pointless time and prices when initiatives pop up. Not having the ability to purchase bulk, or have the time to be a worth willpower, entails further prices. There’s additionally no room for finishing up upkeep and repairs on autos, which implies that work have to be carried out at increased prices outdoors the division.

There’s additionally a utility of $ 5,000 plus month to month.

“Administration and recommendation have checked out different situations, however we want a DPW facility,” mentioned McGuinness. The prices could be an estimated $ 30-40 million.

To carry town, the administration has discovered a brief space-a website of a DTE possession simply outdoors town boundaries on Orchard Lake Highway. This house would price $ 11,000 a month and would additionally solely be non permanent. “They may break down the constructing in 2-3 years as a result of they want a brand new constructing to position their autos,” mentioned McGuinness. The non permanent location would give town a spot to function whereas a brand new DPW was constructed.

50^One District court docket

Pontiac owns the 50^one District Courthouse that was constructed within the Seventies. HVAC updates have just lately been accomplished, however $ 5 million in postponed upkeep remains to be required.

Juvenile recreation facilities

Throughout the time {that a} monetary emergency assist in an emergency of municipal administration in Pontiac took over, three recreation facilities have been offered, leaving a spot in providers for the youngest inhabitants of town. A youth re -creation create was adopted in 2016 and over time town labored with completely different places to supply some programming. Nonetheless, Pontiac just lately purchased the previous McCarrol faculty website in 2023 that’s being renovated for public use, together with youth programming.

Senior facilities

Pontiac has two senior facilities, each of which want to take a position. The Ruth Peterson Heart on Josyln was initially a UAW corridor that town acquired within the Nineties. Though it’s nonetheless in use, quite a few repairs are wanted for an quantity of $ 5 million.

Bowens Senior Heart on Bagley was initially a funeral middle. This property wants $ 3 million in repairs.

Metropolis parks

Pontiac has 33 city-farming parks, with 530 hectares, which doesn’t have the just lately introduced Murphy Park growth and an upcoming inside metropolis park. There are 8 bigger neighborhood parks, 10 neighborhood parks, 13 mini parks and a pair of linear parks, aka, paths which are the Clinton River Path and the North Spur Path close to the Amazon facility.

In Oakland Park, the bogs are usually not lowered, which requires an funding of $ 1 million to exchange them.

The bathroom facility might be repaired in Murphy Park. Town just lately additionally rebuilt the mountaineering bridge within the park.

Metropolis cemetery

There are two cemeteries within the metropolis. Ottawa Park remains to be energetic and is managed by a non-public firm on behalf of town. And Oak Hill Cemetery stays below direct metropolis care. There are mausolea on the cemetery that have to be repaired. There had been an eternal care fund for the cemetery, however greater than $ 900,000 was from that fund eliminated by the Monetary Supervisor for emergency conditions and was used for different functions, which repaired town, based on McGuinness.

There are greater than 18,000 all of the sudden on Oak Hill Cemetery. Town is accountable for bushes and panorama structure, and replaces markers which are broken by circumstances similar to falling branches and theft. McGuess mentioned that the property has not been maintained for years.

Landfill and dump buildings

Town of Pontiac has two landfills that now not settle for new waste, however are nonetheless look after town. Each have what McGuess known as ‘a methane -time bomb’ amongst them.

The landfills, necklace and information, are each full and lined and have to be checked for flammable fuel. Neither of the property might be used for some other function with out important remediation due to the contamination and methane fuel.

There’s a constructing on the Collier landfill, however the basis sinks, and even usable for storage would require appreciable repairs.

The council chairman defined that town used is doing its personal waste assortment and storage, however now it’s poured out.

Outdated buildings and empty properties

There are additionally quite a few properties that town owns however not used.

Purdue College was opened within the Twenties and has been empty for a while. In 2012, a non-public developer purchased this property however didn’t use it. That developer additionally owned Ottawa Towers. Each properties have been included within the deal that introduced the Phoenix Heart again to city property.

Though nothing occurs on the Purdue College -ownership, town nonetheless has to keep up it. If town used it, it could price $ 20 million in investments.

There’s a housing developer who desires to show right into a senior housing mission of 53 unit, however they haven’t but been capable of safe the financing to appreciate that imaginative and prescient.

One other constructing of town that, based on McGuess, says that “the worst scourge within the metropolis, and we personal it” is 350 College Drive. This can be a small construction the place M-59 meets the college drive that always stands out as a canvas for graffiti. He mentioned it was most likely taken over by tax shielding and it was generally used to retailer provides for the close by cemetery. His hope is that the constructing might be demolished.

Town additionally has greater than 800 empty packages. These packages might be offered and so they should purchase neighbors from these packages at very low prices in the event that they wish to develop their property. Town is accountable for slicing the grass and the sidewalks on these empty tons are launched, which is a price that provides.

Along with property, town has the duty of sustaining and repairing greater than 250 miles of roads below their property.

Plan

Town does have the choice of promoting properties, together with the empty events. Nonetheless, McGuess mentioned: “The nation is just as worthwhile as somebody is keen to pay for it.”

He shared that town has round $ 60 million within the basic fund. Additionally they have an AA -Bonds ranking and he estimates that town can bind as much as $ 70 million for initiatives. The mayor’s workplace will current the draft price range to town council later this month, and a 5 -year capital enchancment plan is predicted to be included.

Residents can revise the price range and the plan and share their suggestions at municipal council conferences. Keep knowledgeable of conferences and different metropolis -related info https://www.pontiac.mi.us/

Click on right here to view the complete PowerPoint presentation.

Urban structures presentation 2025