Watch CBS News

City Of Flint Looks To Fill 7,000 Vacant Commercial Building Amid Recovery Effort

FLINT, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - Officials in Flint are looking for ways to make an estimated 7,000-plus vacant commercial properties more attractive to investors as the city works to recover from its crisis with lead-tainted water.

The renewed effort was part of strategies that emerged from a summit earlier this month that could mold the vision for Flint's economic recovery efforts reports the Flint Journal.  The Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce says work isn't complete on the idea.

The chamber says the focus of the Moving Flint Forward Leadership Summit was on economic development and entrepreneurship, talent development and attraction and placemaking. George Wilkinson, group vice president for the chamber, says there were "a lot of great ideas."

Empty properties are found across the city, including former retail, office and industrial buildings.

The city's water became undrinkable after it became contaminated when Flint switched from the Detroit water system to the Flint River as a cost-cutting move. The corrosive water lacked adequate treatment and caused lead to leach from old pipes — and there has since been much discussion about who is to blame.
TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.