(WJBK) -

Demolition in Detroit is no laughing matter - thousands of abandoned homes and buildings need to be knocked down, but the city's inability to remove the blighted housing stock has made it a laughingstock to some.

John Robinson moved next door to a house that was already burned out and abandoned, but he figured everything would be okay because the city of Detroit had been paid to demolish it, per a notice Robinson spotted on the front door of the abandoned house.

Unfortunately, Detroit officials say there wasn't enough money to do the job and told Fox 2's M.L. Elrick in July they'd try to find a way to get it knocked down still. Five months later - still no avail - and M.L. goes looking for answers.

VIDEO: Click on the video player above to watch M.L.'s report, or read the story below _____________

ELRICK: Hey, David Bell. M.L. Elrick, Fox 2. Did you ever hear the story about the house that got paid to be knocked down, but never got knocked down?

BELL: I'm not sure what you're talking about.

By day Dave Bell runs the city's demolition program. By night he's been known to do a little standup comedy.

But there's nothing funny about this story -- even though it's a farce.

ROBINSON: We were really blessed to be able to find this home. Then you look over here.

More here:
Elrick investigates city's demolition program after house should have been knocked down months ago

Dec. 18, 2013, 10 p.m.

A new demolition date for the stack has been set for early next year after the NSW planning department signed off on Port Kembla Copper's plans to bring it down.

A new demolition date for the stack has been set for early next year after the NSW planning department signed off on Port Kembla Copper's plans to bring it down.

PKC boss Ian Wilson announced on Wednesdaythe 198-metre chimney would fall on February 20, more than five months later than originally planned.

The Illawarra landmark's September removal was cancelled at the last minute due to community fears about remaining asbestos levels in the chimney, as well as air pollution and other risks associated with the demolition and evacuation plans.

GALLERY: Port Kembla stack in the frame

A revised proposal has now been approved by Planning NSW, after it was reviewed by a working group made up of the Environment Protection Authority, WorkCover, NSW Police and Wollongong City Council.

An independent industry expert had also verified the plans, NSW Planning said.

"Public submissions received during the exhibition were also carefully considered by the department and the working group and the plans were found to be comprehensive and appropriate - with public safety the paramount consideration," the department said.

Mr Wilson yesterday welcomed the green light, saying he hoped it would allay community fears and allow his company to finish off the project to clear the stack site.

Read the original here:
Port Kembla stack's finally coming down

LITTLE ROCK, AR - The City Board of Directors will decide Tuesday whether to tear down 13 residential structures they call severely dilapidated, deteriorated and/or burned condition.

The first step would be to tear them down, however, a group called "Stop the Demolitions, Little Rock" says turning them into weed lots isn't solving anything.

"Where there are mulitple properties on one block when you tear those down the reuse potential and the opportunity for redevelopment of those properties really falls to almost zero," said Vanessa McKuin with Stop the Demolition.

Tearing down the 13 homes will likely cost the city upwards of $48,000.

The city says they've worked to revitalize communities where they've torn down homes by partnering with organizations like Arkansas Baptist, Habitat for Humanity and Better Community Developers to actually develop homes in some of these places.

To see more on what the city has planned click here and scroll to agenda item 18.

See the original post here:
Demolition of 13 "Unsafe" Homes Meets Opposition

An artist's impression of what the Topshop Topman store will look like when it opens in October 2014. Zara will be located to the right of Topshop. Photo: Supplied

Demolition work to make way for Perth's first Topshop Topman store will be completed this week, with a grand total of 35 tenancies having been gutted to make way for the fashion retailer giant.

The $8 million store will be the equal-largest Topshop Topman in Australia at 2,200 square metres on par with the Brisbane store that opened earlier in December.

The last phase of demolition - removal of the Carillon Arcade balcony - commenced on Monday night.

A spokesperson for the building's part-owner, Hawaiian, said demolition would be completed this week. Photo: Twitter @CarillonCity

Retailers were told it would take two to three nights to complete, with work done at night to prevent interference from heavy machinery noise and vibration from the breaking of the building's slab.

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The project relocated 15 tenants into others stores, 10 stores were closed and 10 pop up shops were either moved or closed.

A Carillon City spokesperson said the development was on track to open in October 2014.

Carillon City tweeted a "sneak peek" of the interior shell earlier this month. Photo: Twitter @CarillonCity

Read more:
Carillon demolition almost complete

911: WTC7 Demolition Charges Going-off (a rear raw footage of the building)
I salute the brave soul who made this footage available. If this is not a hard evidence that stands in any court of law anywhere in the world, I don #39;t know w...

By: xdesmond

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911: WTC7 Demolition Charges Going-off (a rear raw footage of the building) - Video

CNN Televised WTC 7 Demolition Squibs: Message Sent: An Army of One
CNN Televised WTC 7 Demolition Squibs: Message Sent: An Army of One.

By: danp5648

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CNN Televised WTC 7 Demolition Squibs: Message Sent: An Army of One - Video

Court rules against family opposed to forced demolition
Protests erupted nearly two years ago when the Taipei City government forcibly demolished Shilin District homes owned by the Wang family. The demolitions wer...

By: Formosa EnglishNews

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Court rules against family opposed to forced demolition - Video

On the Go: Maintenance buildings demolition
The former Maintenance Yard at the Port of Long Beach is being demolished to make way for the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project.

By: Port of Long Beach

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On the Go: Maintenance buildings demolition - Video

Desert Demolition - Walkthrough
Desert Demolition Starring Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote is a video game for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner are having a compet...

By: Razor Zenon

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Desert Demolition - Walkthrough - Video

Rendering of back of new central county courthouse facing State Street in downtown San Diego. Preparation is underway for demolition of existing buildings.

All eyes were on Bob Filner last week as his criminal sentencing took place in San Diego Superior Court. Few people were aware that it also was a momentous week for the aging courthouse itself. Steps to replace the facility at 220 West Broadway were getting underway.

A 1.4-acre site a block away will become the home of a new 22-story courthouse slated to replace the old main courthouse, along with nearby family and probate court facilities and a Kearny Mesa small claims case trailer.

On Wednesday, tenants in three small office buildings that currently occupy that site were ordered to vacate, and a public parking lot was closed so demolition preparations can begin. Bounded by West C Street, Union Street, West B Street and State Street, the block was the longtime home of the King Stahlman Bail Bonds.

Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert Trentacosta, who on Dec. 9 announced Filners sentence, has been working with the state Administrative Office of the Courts and others on the new 71-courtroom high rise, to be equipped with state-of-the-art security and technology.

He called the current 1961 structure, which straddles an active seismic fault, antiquated and dilapidated.

Its a mess, said Judge Trentacosta. The heating, ventilation, water pipes, everything is breaking. Were hanging on until the new courthouse is built.

In fact, the day Trentacosta took over as presiding judge nearly two years ago, a pipe broke on the fifth floor that sent a water gushing into his third floor area. When the heating system broke down, they recently had to bring in portable boilers.

Sale of lease revenue bonds was completed last month. Groundbreaking on the $552 million project, paid for by court penalties, fees and fines, will be in March, and the new courthouse is slated to open in October of 2016.

Link:
Demolition to start for new courthouse