Nightmare after Christmas

It’s Christmas all year long at 3417 Cochrane St., where the Abandoned Structure Squad found the latest gem in Detroit’s gleaming crown. Apparently, taking down strings of lights is sort of pointless when the rest of the house is falling apart. And this house isn’t the only one. Cochrane Street is lined with comparable wrecks ranging from shabby to hazardous, some still showing signs of holiday cheer, some not. The omnipresent decay angers neighbor Damon Gray, who rents out a house next door. He attempted to buy the house from the city in order to renovate it and open it up to renters, but was blocked by regulations forcing owners to occupy the buildings they purchase. The Planning and Development Department tells us that sale of the house, which was assessed last year at $4,250, is pending.