Ty Hinton on Harper Woods
Tyrone "Ty" Hinton, left, Economic and Community Development Director of Harper Woods, was the guest speaker at the Feb. 15 luncheon meeting of Grosse Pointe Rotary. With him following the meeting is Past President Mark Brooks, who ran the meeting in President Fred Ollison III's absence. Ty has lived in Harper Woods for five years and has two children at Parcells Middle School. He has held his current position for nine weeks. He concedes that the city has too many rental properties, which brings in many who do not have a vested interest in the community. The city is at a tipping point where the adults need to take back the streets.
His department’s community development process will take place in a series of five meetings for a section of Harper Woods with the idea of forming a community organization. What he calls “turf reclamation” will happen when adults become neighbors again and not just owners of houses. With the city’s affordable housing available and its proximity to downtown Detroit, his hope is to attract new families who want to maintain the urban experience.
Eastland Mall is an integral part of the City and the surrounding communities and there is a vested interest in seeing it succeed. In addition to needing more stores, ideas for the area include moving the municipals offices there and putting a high tech trade school where Sears used to be.
Ty calls his job a mission and we wish him the best of luck. (Photo by George R. McMullen Jr.)