Faced with mounting financial challenges that could put more popular municipal services at risk, the city of Dearborn today announced it is actively seeking buyers for its Florida apartment building for retirees.

Dearborn is seeking buyers for its apartment building in Clearwater, Florida.

A city press release did not list how much money the building might fetch but as most homeowners in Dearborn know, this is a challenging time to be trying to fetch a good return for real estate.  The release only stated that the city had completed its appraisal work on the property.

In 2007, the 50-year-old Florida property was valued at between $8 million and $8.3 million, according to one informal appraisal. Another appraisal in March 2008 put the value of property at about $5.6 million.

In March of this year, the Dearborn Press & Guide reported that the Dearborn Towers property value had dropped to $2.8 million, according to the most recent appraisal. The value could climb to $5.8 million if rents in the building were raised to levels of surrounding buildings, the paper reported then.  (for earlier post, click here)

The apartment building is located near Clearwater Beach, which Dearborn says has consistently been named one of the best beaches in the country.  The property sits on a 2-acre waterfront site on Clearwater Bay, and is near the Gulf of Mexico and downtown Clearwater. It has a private fishing dock, marina and pool.

The opportunity for Dearborn retirees to affordably live in Florida for some or part of the year made Dearborn Towers immensely popular in the 1960s through the 1990s, and added to Dearborn’s reputation of providing one-of-a-kind services for its residents.

As times changed, so did Dearborn residents’ ideas about retirement, and the traditionally long waiting list to rent an apartment in Dearborn Towers disappeared.

And, now, even though the apartment building is essentially self-supporting, the city of Dearborn in its press release says its resources need to be prioritized in a different way.

Residents of Dearborn Towers have leases that can be terminated with 30 days notice. Residents who may need accommodations following a sale are invited back to live in available units in the City’s five senior apartments in Dearborn.

Constructed in 1960, the apartment building has 40, one-bedroom and 48 two-bedroom units, with scenic views, screened terraces, electric kitchens and individually controlled air-conditioning.

Buyers interested in Dearborn Towers should call the City of Dearborn’s Legal Department at 313-943-2035.

Dearborn Public Schools and Singers Of United Lands (S.O.U.L.) will co-host the final performance of the S.O.U.L. 2010 tour on May 27 at 7:00 p.m. at Stout Middle School, 18500 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn. The free performance is open to the public and is sure to be an entertaining event for all.

Singers Of United Lands is a touring trio of professional singers, each from a different continent. S.O.U.L.’s mission is to develop international and cultural relationships through vocal music from around the world. S.O.U.L. provides workshops, presentations, performances, and lessons for audiences of all ages during a 5-month tour throughout the United States and Canada. The singers focus on international vocal music, world history, and linguistics from their respective native countries.

The performance will be a culmination of the group’s tour as well as a culminating performance of a weeklong visit to several Dearborn Public Schools. For more information on S.O.U.L. visit their website at: www.singersofunitedlands.org or contact Marcus LaPratt at (517) 388-1316.

Soony Saad, in this Dearborn Press & Guide photograph, holds his 2009-10 Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year trophy Thursday at Dearborn High.

The best high school soccer player in the United States is right here in our city of Dearborn. The award to Dearborn High senior Soony Saad as the Gatorade National Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year was made Thursday in the gym of the high school.

The Dearborn Press & Guide reports that Saad, who won the state coaches association Mr. Soccer Award at the end of last season, was selected the best of over 380,000 high school boys who played the game nationwide.

The paper says that Saad joins an elite list of athletes honored by Gatorade over the past 25 years that includes Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, former Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez and current Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello.

“What’s astonishing is the company he’s with,” Dearborn High coach Sean Gordon told the Press & Guide. “He’s recognized by coaches all over the country and he’s on a fast track to great things.”

Saad scored a state-record 76 goals last year and finished his career with 172, which is also a state record.

Saad told the Press & Guide he plans to attend the University of Michigan in the fall and join his brother, Hamoody, on the Wolverines soccer team.

 (Source: Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter press release)

The Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter announced its 17th annual Critter Invitational Golf Outing takes place on Monday, June 7th. New this year, golfers will be able to choose which course they prefer to play in support of homeless animals while enjoying a round of golf.

The options include the Jack Nicklaus designed private TPC of Michigan or the four star public course, Dearborn Hills. It is a best ball scramble format on both courses. 

“Offering the Outing on two courses this year gives supporters a chance to choose which one suits their skill level and wallets best,” said Elaine Greene, executive director of the Dearborn Animal Shelter.

The festivities include 18 holes of golf, cart, dinner and cocktails, silent and live auctions and all the usual Outing goodies. All participants begin at Dearborn Hills for registration and TPC golfers are then shuttled to their course. Dinner and auctions take place at Dearborn Hills for all golfers.

Some Detroit sports celebrities are expected to join in the day to lend their “paws” in support of the Dearborn Animal Shelter. Detroit Lions quarterback Drew Stanton and long-snapper Don Muhlbach, as well as Detroit Tigers great Dan Petry, are among the sports figures scheduled to attend. The event is emceed and chaired by WJBK Fox 2 sports director Dan Miller for the fifth consecutive year.

Golf packages are $300 per golfer at the TPC (11am start) and $150 per golfer at Dearborn Hills (noon start). Non-golfers can share in the fun by purchasing tickets to the Critter dinner for $75 each. Sponsorships are still available as well, ranging from $250 to $5,000 offering sponsorship visibility on both courses. More information is available on-line at www.DearbornAnimals.org

About The Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter

The mission of the Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter (FFDAS) is to provide loving care and sanctuary to animals, encourage adoptions and reunions, and promote respect, responsibility and compassion for all animals. Animals are the heart of our work.

Visit the site to donate on-line or call the Dearborn Animal Shelter at 313.943.2697. The Shelter is located at 2661 Greenfield Road in Dearborn; they accept cash and wish list donations in person as well. More online at www.DearbornAnimals.org

The former home of automotive supplier Plastech (and my former junior high school, Adams, and before that Dearborn High School) is now on the sales block for a starting bid of $390,000.

Known as the Dearborn Atrium Office Center, the building at 835 Mason between Garrison and Morley, traded in 2005 for $19 million.

Traded in 2005 for $19 million, bidding for the Dearborn Atrium begins at $390,000.

As the listing for the buildings states: “This is an excellent opportunity for a user or investor to buy a quality office building at a substantial discount.” In this case, “substantial” seems like an understatement.

With its nearby parking deck, you could see this building being transformed into downtown lofts or how about student housing? There are lots of possibilities for this building that was built in 1916. The former school was completely renovated to the shell in 1994 and the listing says warranties still exist from those renovations.

The property consists of two three-story office buildings and a covered parking structure consisting of 90,774 square feet and 307 parking spaces. The two office buildings consist of 133,001 net rentable square feet and 154,104 square feet of gross building area and sit on 4.09 acres. The listing states that the average household incomes are more than $76,000 within one mile of the property and and the population is more than 103,000 people in a three mile radius.

Let the dreaming begin . . .