FLINT, Michigan — The City of Flint recently recently placed violation notices at the former St. Agnes convent at 500 W. Pierson Rd. On Friday, May 13, 2022, the locks at the facility were changed.
A Notice of Violation was issued on April 17, 2020, by the City of Flint Building and Safety Inspections division declaring the premises a “hazard and a nuisance as a dangerous structure and/or structure unfit for human occupancy according to Section IPMC-108 of the International Property Maintenance Code, as adopted and amended by the City of Flint.” Two structures on the campus property are slated for demolition; others pose a potential threat to individual health and safety.
A Resolution allowing Mrs. Yvonne Penton, originator and founder of The House of Ester, to purchase the tax Reverted Property was passed in 2019, by Flint City Council. The purchase required Penton to submit a payment of $71,376.87 in back taxes plus any interest and penalties accrued no later than 30 days after the adoption of the resolution. The City of Flint never received payment.
“The City of Flint has an obligation to be good stewards of the city’s resources and, most importantly, to protect people from the danger posed by these unsafe facilities,” said Suzanne Wilcox, director of planning and development.
“The property will be relisted for sale and the current occupants will have an opportunity to submit a bid if they choose to,” Wilcox added.
In April, the City of Flint learned the property remained in use despite the issuance of the 2020 violation notice.
