Firm that broke rules hired to clean Detroit demo sites
The same Detroit company whose inexact work left 19 residential demolition sites unfinished for more than eight months was again hired last week by Detroit's demolition program manager to finish the job.
Rickman Enterprise Group initially was hired last year to tear down blighted properties at those sites, but the company broke state demolition rules by starting work without proper authorization, according to the chairwoman of the Detroit Land Bank Authority. The land bank issued a stop-work order when it found out in July, and Rickman was not paid for the unapproved work.
Despite the company's actions, the Detroit Building Authority's board approved a new $104,420 contract for Rickman to remove debris and fill holes at the unfinished sites, the dangers of which were highlighted in a controversial audit report last month. The Land Bank disputed many of the report's findings.
Rickman was not the low bidder among five companies seeking the latest contract to clean up the sites. Smalley Construction bid $75,300 but it is not based in Detroit, giving the edge to Rickman, according to Brian Farkas, special projects director for the Building Authority. Farkas defended Rickman's track record in a statement provided Wednesday in response to questions from the Free Press.
Read more: http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2017/04/06/firm-broke-rules-hired-clean-demo-sites/100074434/
