Flint to demolish historic church as part of blight efforts

FLINT, Mich. — The City of Flint has announced plans to demolish a long-blighted church as part of its ongoing effort to address unsafe and deteriorating structures.

City officials said that $200,000 has been budgeted for demolishing the historic Oak Park Methodist Episcopal Church, located at the corner of Hamilton and North Saginaw streets. Officials also told Flint Beat that a lien will be placed on the property.

The church was severely damaged by a fire in early 2023. Now surrounded by debris, its skeletal remains stand as a visible reminder of its storied past. The property has changed hands several times since the church closed.

Mayor Sheldon Neeley joined community leaders and stakeholders to announce the project at a press conference on April 2, 2025. 

“Saginaw Street is a major artery of the city of Flint, and this dilapidated structure is an eyesore,” City Council President Ladel Lewis said. “We want to make sure that the owners of property in our city know that Flint is not a place where you buy and you just forsake your property.”

The demolition, funded through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars, is a key component of Flint’s Safe & Clean Summer Initiative, a multi-departmental effort aimed at improving safety, cleanliness and quality of life.

The city has contracted Sc Environmental Services to do the demolition, which is expected to be completed within a month.

Pastor Daniel Moore of the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, which sits directly across from the site, expressed relief on behalf of his congregation.

“Since the day that church, the former Oak Park Methodist Episcopal Church, was destroyed by the fire we’ve been praying diligently for that burned out structure to be demolished and for that site to be cleaned up,” Moore said.

As part of the project, the church’s historic bell will be preserved and restored, officials said.

There are no immediate redevelopment plans for the site, but Neeley said the property holds strong potential due to Saginaw Street’s high traffic volume.