The Bible Community Mission occupies the corner of 12th and Elmhurst in what once used to be an area of thriving shops.

5: Archer vows to get rid of abandoned buildings

    Despite Jordan’s efforts, drug dealers dominated the area at night, especially on weekends, and as homeowners on Elmhurst grew older, they learned to stay inside. Alleys behind the houses piled up with garbage. Drug dealers drove their cars through the empty lots, and stolen cars were often dumped in the alleys.

    In 1953, 191 people and businesses on the block had phone numbers listed in the city directory. All 28 lots were privately owned, and the owners all were paying taxes.

    By 1994, much of the 1900 block of Elmhurst was torn up. Only 16 people had listed phone numbers. No businesses remained on the street. Only 13 houses, the corner church and Jordan’s apartment building were still standing and occupied.

    Of the 27 remaining lots on the Elmhurst block in 1994 (one was split in half and sold to adjoining lots), nine were owned by the city and one by the state, so a third of the street was bringing in no taxes to city or county coffers. Thirteen of the lots were vacant, so their assessed value had plummeted.

    Despite the increasing hardships, many of the older people on the block had a warm feeling for Mayor Young. They liked how he stood up for black Detroit. But after 20 years, life on Elmhurst was demonstrably worse, and they were ready for a change.

    The Rev. Edith Johnson, like Irene Chow, Helen McMurray and others, supported Dennis Archer for mayor in 1993. “Getting rid of abandoned buildings, that was one of his biggest things when he got into office,” said Johnson, standing on her porch at 1965 Elmhurst next door to the windowless, gutted apartments at 1977 Elmhurst. “He was going to tear down all these buildings.”

    On Jan. 3, 1994, Mayor Archer delivered his inaugural address to about 4,000 people gathered at the Fox Theatre. He promised that his administration would work hard to improve basic city services: garbage pickup, street lights, police and fire. “I have no illusions about the difficulties that lie ahead,” he said.

    Seven years later, the Shirley Apartments still stands, gutted and quite dead.

You can reach Cameron McWhirter at (313) 222-2072 or cmcwhirter@detnews.com