Dilapidated Woodward Ave. Building Demolished

HIGHLAND PARK (WWJ) - It's the end of the line for another vacant old building in Highland Park.

The dilapidated Eason-Wood Apartments is located on north end of the city on the corner of Woodward Ave. at Eason St., across from the Snethcamp car dealership.

As the building began to tumble Friday morning, WWJ Newsradio 950's Mike Campbell spoke with Will Jones with Blue Star Demolition out of Warren. He said this tear-down was a long time coming.

"It's an eyesore and it was a haven for drug dealing ... dead bodies, robberies," said Jones. "People living in there, shackin' up ... doing all crazy stuff."

Jones said he thinks that when they're done, in about a month, the site will be a parking lot.

The Eason-Wood building was not on the National Register of Historic Places, although a note in one of the propsals for the Woodward light rail project did say it was elilible for an NRHP listing.

City leaders have sought funding to demolish vacant, dangerous structures across the city. Former Mayor Hubert Yopp said whole blocks were destroyed by arsonists. In 2010, he asked Gov. Granholm to declare Highland Park a disaster area in hopes of gaining access to federal money.