Hantz Woodlands: 13 years in, the tree count beats the promise

DETROIT. Hantz Woodlands has planted more than 40,000 trees on Detroit's east side, well past the 15,000 it promised when the 13-year project started. It has also torn down 70 blighted structures, 20 more than the original goal of 50, and now mows its lots every two weeks instead of the three-week schedule it first committed to.

Mike Score, president of Hantz Farms, which runs the project, says neighbors were wary of the trees at first. That's changed on streets like McClellan and Belvidere, north of Kercheval, where Score says residents now ask for trees near their own homes. The land sits south of Mack Avenue and east of Van Dyke.