City Makes Deal With Man Perched Atop Detroit Home Set To Be Demolished

DETROIT (WWJ) - A man sitting atop a vacant northwest Detroit house for hours Tuesday didn't want to see it demolished.

There was a bulldozer at the scene, late Tuesday morning, of the dilapidated structure in the 6100 block of 16th Street, near West Grand Blvd. — but progress was stalled by Aaron Timlin — a shoeless, bearded man who was perched at the peak.

Timlin came down willingly at around 11:15 a.m. after the city agreed to wait two weeks to demolish the home, which is owned by the Detroit Land Bank.

He was taken away in handcuffs.

What's this all about?

"He's trying to save the home," said Timlin's friend, Matthias Schnider. "He sees value in it, which it certainly has. He has ideas for it...He's more concerned about making a statement than getting arrested."

Speaking to WWJ Newsradio 950 from the scene, Schnider said police spent a lot of time trying to coax his buddy down, without success.

"They have been talking to him, but the problem is Arron is very intelligent. Not to say that the cops aren't, but his arsenal is pretty well-stocked...He can rebuttal anything, anything they have to say he'll have an answer to."

Onlookers and media swarmed the street as Timlin climbed down a ladder provided by the city.

"It's not a black thing, it's not a white thing, it's a social thing! It's humanitarian!" shouted neighbor Mike Thompson.

Schnider said things got tense earlier on, while Detroit police were pushing reporters and curious neighbors farther and farther away from the home.

"They evacuated people who aren't residents," Schnider said. "It was pretty intense. Some people were complaining that their rights were being violated. The press felt that they were being disrespected and bullied by the police."

Timlin, a trustee of the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit,(CAID), lives across the street from the house in question and Schnider lives down the block.

Aren't they worried about nefarious activities known to transpire in vacant homes?

"No. We've been in this neighborhood for a year or two and haven't heard of anything of that sort," Schnider said. "This is a pretty up-and-coming spot; close to Woodward...I know that there are neighborhoods were those things occur, but not here."

Schnider said local residents are on board.

"The people are wonderful, and that's been the best outcome of this protest, is the camaraderie."

The Detroit Land Bank Authority and the City of Detroit have ordered the demolition of dozens of houses and commercial buildings in the neighborhood without consulting the community that live and work there, according to the group.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan recently celebrated the 10,001st home bulldozed during his administration and more than a dozen more houses demolished last week.

Members of the group argue that many of the buildings are primed for rehabilitation and of significant value to the neighborhood. Some of them house art.

"This is an immediate call to action to artists and social activists from Detroit and around the world," sad Timlin, in a news release. "These buildings are important to our community because they have historical and cultural value and have the potential to become viable homes and community centers."

The group said they planned to "house sit" until the city agreed to give them time to put together a proposal.

Land Bank spokesperson Craig Fahle said he'll be happy to discuss the feasibility of saving some of these structures. He said the Land Bank is pro-blight removal, which can sometimes include renovations.

"There's a lot of work that needs to be done to determine whether or not they can do it," Faule said. "But we are more than happy to work with then, because if we can save the house that's wonderful."

Schnider said Timlin and others are willing to put up funds for the projects.

It's unclear if Timlin will face any criminal charges.

For more about the group's effort, visit this link.