Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr. addresses Arab American and Chaldean Council executives and advisors at ACC's Youth Recreation and Leadership Center in Detroit on Tuesday.

DETROIT — Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. told Arab American and Chaldean Council executives and advisors on Tuesday that the city supports the group's Seven Mile Project and will respond to calls to address rampant blight in the neighborhood the project focuses on.

The mayor asked the group to survey the area and submit a list of trouble spots between John R and Woodward Avenue to be turned over Buildings and Safety Engineering Department and considered for demolition.

Director of the Seven Mile Project Isa Hasan said the group has already assembled a list of specific abandoned, run-down properties in the area that discourage investors and could attract crime.

"We cannot get buy-ins from individuals or organizations when one looks around and sees burned-out buildings. They really are eyesores in this jewel of the community," Hasan said.

He said the group has been trying for years to get the city to tear down severely deteriorating homes and buildings in the area, some of which are on land that could be used to relieve parking issues around ACC's several social service facilities and community centers.

"ACC has committed a lot of effort and a lot of money toward the development of the Seven Mile Project. We want to continue that effort... it would be a shame if we were to just sit back and do nothing," Hasan said.

Cockrel spoke to the group at the organization's Youth Recreation and Leadership Center about nearby development efforts, including plans for an $80 million outdoor mall at Woodward and 8 Mile, and safety initiatives, including the opening of several police mini-stations throughout the city and potential federal stimulus money that could help the city hire 150-300 more officers.

"We're here to work with you," said Cockrel. We are always willing to work with different developers in this part of town to facilitate their growth and facilitate their plans... We're always willing to entertain plans and concepts and to work with you if it's viable."

Hasan said he hopes and expects that Cockrel will follow through on helping to remedy blight in the area.

"I came away with a feeling that he is really anxious to help it out," Hasan said. "He's aware of what ACC has been doing on Seven Mile... What we're asking for is not for ACC. It's for the community.... I think he's very sincere about wanting to help out."

Hasan and other ACC executives said that while the organization does not endorse or support political candidates, the group would be open to also hearing from Dave Bing, who is running against Cockrel in a May 5 run-off to determine who will serve out the remainder of ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's term, which expires at the end of the year.