Redford to raze old nursing home, foster new development

The old Cambridge Nursing Home is not what Redford officials want its residents to see when they visit the Redford Union School District offices next door. The old blighted block building on Beech Daly Road near 7 Mile Road has been the target of vandals, scrapers and even arsonists in recent years. Not the best way to make a good first impression on families looking to move into your community. So the township is doing the best thing to remedy the situation, razing the eye sore.

“It has been a severely blighted property for several years,” says Michael Dennis, community development director for Redford Township. “It’s a huge eye sore for the corridor and the neighborhood.”

Heavy construction equipment is going to start digging into the 23,000 square foot structure at 18633 Beech Daly next week. It should be gone shortly after that, leaving an empty lot. Township officials plan to put a request for proposals on the property next spring. They hope to see a new healthcare building or even housing rise there in the near future.

The Cambridge Nursing Home is about 50 years old and has been vacant for the last three years. The previous owners wanted to turn the building into a facility for closed-head injuries but the plan fizzled. Redford Township bought the 1.5 acre property in May for $600,000.

Source: Michael Dennis, community development director for Redford Township
Writer: Jon Zemke