FLINT, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The city of Flint announced it is going after private property owners in its multimillion dollar effort to clean up blight.

The city stated April 2 it demolished a “long-blighted church that has been a source of concern for neighbors and passersby.” The Oak Park UMC Church, according to the city, was once a historic structure and a “prominent gateway into the city” but fell into disrepair and “long stood as an eyesore and symbol of disinvestment.”

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“With this action, the City of Flint is establishing a new standard: aggressively pursuing the demolition of privately owned properties that are unsafe, blighted, and detrimental to the health and safety of neighborhoods,” the city stated in a press release. “By holding property owners accountable and removing dangerous structures, the city is reinforcing its commitment to residents and their right to live in safe, clean communities.”

Its removal is funded by a Community Development Block Grant.

The local area units of government have united to clean up Genesee County. The Genesee County Landbank is working with Flint and Genesee County to demolish as many as 1,910 blighted structures in the area. The coalition has $39.5 million, of which $24 million comes from the American Rescue Plan Act. It is trying to get another $5.8 million so it can demolish another 505 blighted structures and reach a goal of clearing 2,415 blighted structures within the city of Flint and county.

The city of Flint has an Administrative Hearings Bureau that oversees and imposes sanctions for blight violations. People can appeal the decision of the Administrative Hearings Bureau to the Circuit Court.