Highland Park mayor outlines $135 million housing push, multi‑year water and road projects in State of the City

Mayor Glenda McDonald delivered Highland Park's State of the City address, highlighting a slate of infrastructure, housing and public-safety initiatives the administration says will guide the city this year.

McDonald opened by thanking residents, elected officials and city staff before reviewing recent fiscal activity in community and economic development, including 19 vacant residential lots sold for $9,500 and seven city-owned residential structures sold for $58,850 at auction; she said nine purchase options are pending with potential revenue of $109,750 when those sales close.

The mayor emphasized housing and demolition: she described "new and improved housing rehab projects in process" that she characterized as a $135,000,000 investment, and said the city plans targeted demolitions of dangerous structures. "We have to build," McDonald said, urging coordinated action by council, community development staff and prospective buyers to reduce publicly owned inventory by 20 percent and sell roughly 440 parcels this year.

On infrastructure, McDonald outlined multi‑phase water-main and lead-service-line replacement projects and said the city is installing flow meters to reconcile inflow from regional transmission systems. She also announced grant and state funding for sewer and stormwater work: an approximately $3,000,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund award for roughly 5,200 linear feet of sanitary-sewer rehabilitation (CCTV inspections and cleaning) and a state high-water infrastructure award of about $1,800,000 for stormwater improvements at the Ernest T. Ford Recreation Center.

Roadwork received mention as well: McDonald said the city received $950,000 in MDOT funding to resurface about 0.51 miles of Glendale Avenue and $1.7 million to resurface 0.94 miles of Oakland Avenue, and that the administration is preparing larger reconstruction requests for future fiscal years.

McDonald framed the projects as part of a broader push to restore city assets and services, saying the administration is also updating online ordinances, restarting enforcement and reconstituting municipal commissions and task forces. She closed by urging residents to report illegal dumping, help keep catch basins clear, and participate in city programs and events.

The address concluded with contact information for city departments and an invitation to use Highland Park's expanded online and social-media channels for updates.