If there was ever any doubt about the positive impact that Dearborn’s Operation Eyesore and Neighborhood Stabilization programs are having on city neighborhoods one need not look any further than these photos. 

A new home on Parker after Operation Eyesore.

Operation Eyesore, which started in 1960 was developed so Dearborn could acquire and remove buildings and then sell the land to private developers so new buildings can take their place. Operation Eyesore continues to work with owners of substandard homes and, in some cases, commercial properties in Dearborn.

Since Operation Eyesore was initiated, 1,288 buildings have been removed and 585 new dwellings have been constructed by private developers.

“The goal of the program is to keep the neighborhood at a higher level,” said John Nagy, Dearborn City Planner. “The importance of this is that there is a new interest in the neighborhood and it encourages improvements in existing homes.”

Dearborn’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program was launched by Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., in May 2008 and since then the city has been buying marginal or undervalued foreclosed homes with the intention of reusing the property in ways that bolster the surrounding area. To add even more strength to the program, Dearborn will receive $2.4 million in federal neighborhood stabilization funding in 2009.

The home on Parker Street before demolition.

“We’ve earned those dollars because we earned the trust and respect of local, state and federal officials with our vision, our progress, and our fiscal responsibility,” O’Reilly said. “We’ve made great strides, quickly becoming a respected and innovative leader in this area. We’ll continue to buy marginal homes and clear the land to assemble larger, more desirable lots for resale or split them to combine with adjoining homes.”

O’Reilly said the city is looking at renovating and reselling some of the better houses it purchases as a way to give the city a chance to welcome more first-time home buyers in Dearborn.

Some quick facts:

– Dearborn in 2008 purchased 67 properties through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, Operation Eyesore and a special HUD program.

– Dearborn purchased all of the parcels for just 17 percent of their total value.

– Through Operation Eyesore, 22 marginal homes were demolished and nine modern ones built, including before and after photos here of a home on Parker Street.

Dearborn property owners who feel they may have a building that is not up to standards and would consider selling the property to Dearborn should contact the City Plan Department at 313-943-2170.