Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud speaks Jan. 22 at the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce “A Tale of our Cities” breakfast at Park Place Banquet Center in Dearborn.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – Mayor Abdullah Hammoud provided an update on flood mitigation, public safety, park improvements and more during the annual Tale of our Cities breakfast Jan. 22 at Park Place Banquet Center.
The annual event, sponsored by the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce, was missing recently elected Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun, who decided not to speak this early in his tenure.
Hammoud said the past four years have been one of the most transformative terms in Dearborn’s history.
He said the city has been able to bring in roughly $200 million in additional resources, which is more than the city’s $150 million annual budget.
“Imagine having an additional whole budget to invest in all across the city,” he said.
Hammoud said the blighted Oakman Boulevard Apartments at Michigan Avenue and Oakman Boulevard have been demolished, providing an open parcel for new development, and the Village Plaza will come down following a court ruling and asbestos abatement.
The Hyatt building has been contractually signed to a new developer and will become a Hilton and is currently being remodeled. Hammoud said he hopes it will be open by the end of the year, and the convention and meeting space will be maintained, with 225 hotel rooms and about 200 apartments.
“It’s a beautiful project and we are excited to see it,” Hammoud said. “I can tell you that the Rotunda (restaurant) is coming back as well.”
He said Dearborn is the fastest growing city in Michigan according to the census, and 1,500 additional units of housing are needed. One new 30-acre parcel being developed is on Lundy Parkway, northwest of Ford and Greenfield roads.
In terms of flood mitigation, Hammoud said the city has the capacity to handle 3.5 inches of rainwater in 24 hours. A 2-year flooding study has been completed, and the goal is to try to increase that capacity by 50 percent, a $400 million project that will require a decade to complete. There are also short- and long-term projects to get there and to help reduce the likelihood of flooding.
He said the four-foot diameter Colson Palmer stormwater line is half-filled with sediment, reducing its capacity, and the city has obtained a $25 million Community Development Block Grant from the federal government to clear it in the next 18 months, adding 4 million gallons of stormwater capacity using existing infrastructure.
The city also secured a Public Assistance Program federal grant to install a flap gate, which is similar to a backflow preventer, but it serves an entire neighborhood. This project will protect 3,500 residences near Michigan Avenue and Chase Road. He said the city has applied for funding for several more flap gate Federal Emergency Management Agency projects.
Hammoud said the city continues to address resident complaints about speeding and reckless driving, with 530 traffic-calming devices installed across the city, and the city is issuing more tickets for speeding and reckless driving.
He said a centralized 311 phone line will help residents reach anyone working in the city of Dearborn.
Hammoud said one of the city’s goals is to provide greater resources for its families, with $35 million invested in parks, including inclusive playscapes throughout the city.
He said the city secured funding to convert the Esper Library into a STEAM center, with a science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics focus.
Hammoud said the city has launched Rx Kids, which provides cash assistance to new mothers in Dearborn, which he characterized as the “baby capital of Michigan.”
The money came from philanthropy and grants and is administered by the Rx Kids organization.
Hammoud said property taxes in the city are down about 17 percent since he took office.
He said Dearborn’s millage rate is lower than Dearborn Heights by about 1 mill.
Hammoud said the city has had structurally balanced budgets.
He said a 1 mill library millage is up for renewal in August, which will not impact the current tax rate.
“Overall, the city is in a very strong financial position and we have also been able to give the largest pay increases to all of our employees in the city’s history,” Hammoud said.