Key Detroit Demolition Official Resigns
A key figure who set up “no bid” contracts for bulk Detroit demolition work is leaving amid a federal investigation.
A key figure in Detroit’s demolition program has resigned.
City officials say Jim Wright, the deputy director of the Detroit Building Authority, has resigned effective immediately.
The city issued a statement noting the resignation but did not give a reason for why Wright is stepping-down.
He helped choose contractors for Detroit’s demolition program, including so-called unit price contracts that involved deals discussed before bids were formally opened to the public.
Federal officials are investigating the demolition program after reports that the price for tearing down blighted buildings skyrocketed after Mayor Mike Duggan took office.
The federal government has provided more than $250 million for the demolition effort.
Duggan said last fall that the set price contracts were designed to lure companies who could demolish large numbers of properties in a short period of time and that it was part of a pilot program that was discontinued because it failed to lower the cost of demolitions.
