ANN ARBOR, MI -- Major demolition work is underway at a long-blighted city site on the west edge of downtown Ann Arbor.

City officials have talked for many years about tearing down the deteriorating buildings across from the Ann Arbor YMCA at 415 W. Washington St. and now it's happening -- a significant milestone as the city aims to put the property to new use.

A city-hired demolition crew reduced structures at the back of the site to rubble in recent weeks.

Now attention has shifted to gradually dismantling the buildings at the front while aiming to preserve a large chimney known as a roosting spot for chimney swifts, a migratory bird species whose population decline has been a concern.

The Washington Street property is one of four city-owned sites where the city is having buildings demolished under a $1.4 million contract with 21st Century Salvage.

Others include structures at 721 N. Main St., a picnic shelter at Veterans Memorial Park and the Farmers Market office.

City officials hope to see the Washington Street property redeveloped with new housing while leaving room for the Treeline trail for pedestrians and cyclists to run through it.

The city has a pre-approved conceptual development plan from 2023 based on the city's vision for the site, showing a new building rising six stories with potentially 157 housing units.

A potential development deal fell through in June after a developer withdrew an offer to purchase the site.

City Council then voted 10-0 in August to direct city staff to hire a real estate broker or seller's agent to solicit new offers from interested developers.

No new proposals have been publicly announced yet.

The city aims to clean up decades-old pollution underground as the property is put to new use.

The site originally was home to the Road Commission in the 1920s and later was used for various city operations that have since relocated, leaving the property vacant since 2007 except for storage and parking use.