PONTIAC, Mich. (WXYZ) — State employees in Oakland County are raising concerns about what they describe as unsafe working conditions at their Michigan Department of Health and Human Services office.
Nearly 300 MDHHS employees working in the building at Woodward Avenue and Clinton River Trail held a picket Tuesday afternoon, citing air quality issues and accessibility concerns for clients with disabilities.
The concerns began a few weeks ago when Oakland County kicked off a demolition project on the Phoenix Center, a once-thriving amphitheater that had sat idle for 15 years. The MDHHS building is located directly next to the construction zone.
"When I come into the office, I wear a mask because first of all, some days you can smell the dust. One of the coworkers said how the dust was in their mouth," said Sylvia Peel, an MDHHS employee.
Peel expressed particular concern for colleagues with health issues.
"Some people have compromised health concerns that's working in the office," she said.
The $50 million demolition project is part of a larger effort to revitalize downtown Pontiac, but employees worry about the impact on both workers and visitors to the building.
"It's not just us that's coming into this building. You have civilians coming in, you have the general public coming in — whether it's for parenting time because of a court involvement or if it's to get food stamps or government assistance," said Ray Hesser, an MDHHS employee.
Hesser suggested potential solutions to address the concerns.
"I think we can endorse something like being in satellite campuses. We have more than one building around here that the (MDHHS) has, so we could possibly do that or make ourselves hybrid a little bit more," he said.
Despite voicing their concerns to state officials, Hesser says they have still been required to work in the building.
7 News Detroit reached out to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for a statement, but no one was immediately available.
Our team also reached out to the county, which owns the building. They sent the following statement back on behalf of the Farbman Group, which is heading up the project:
Safety is always a top priority of the Farbman Group, and it has been the number one priority of our client, Oakland County, since they became owners of the building in 2023. We work closely to keep our respective tenants informed and to be responsive to all concerns brought to our attention.
We know that as Oakland County works with the City of Pontiac and the State of Michigan to transform Downtown Pontiac, tenants may experience some inconveniences. We will strive to address these inconveniences as quickly as possible. Some of the work required to make this redevelopment vision a reality include the demolition of the Phoenix Center and we’re doing so while upholding the highest air quality standards. We are also currently working with the State of Michigan to minimize parking concerns. We continue to monitor all activity very closely, in collaboration with the demolition contractor, Adamo. We appreciate the interest in this project and continue to aim for a seamless experience for all as we move forward toward completion.
The demolition project is expected to continue through the end of the year.
—————
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
