By Steve Neavling
Motor City Muckraker
Billionaire Dan Gilbert, who owns or controls more than 80 downtown Detroit properties, may soon expand his empire to Brush Park and the Eastern Market with the help of millions of federal tax dollars.
Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration is backing a plan involving Gilbert’s Bedrock Real Estate Services and at least two other unidentified developers who want to build housing and retail in both areas close to downtown.
A committee of city officials has recommended the $267 million plan as part of a multi-phase project to build up to 1,000 housing units on vacant land. If approved by the City Council, the city plans to seek up to $30 million in federal grants to subsidize the project.
The housing would range from low-income to market rate.
The proposal calls for redeveloping Brush Park land where the Brewster-Douglass housing projects were demolished in 2014. The redevelopment would include housing, a park, new streets and commercial space, said Arthur Jemison, director of the city’s Housing and Revitalization Department.
The Eastern Market development would take place on city property at 3480 Russell and Shed 4 and include housing and retail.
The city declined to name the other developers but said two of them are African Americans.
Gilbert and the developers were chosen behind closed doors based on bids received in March.
“When it is finalized, the written agreement will be made public as it is filed with City Council,” Jamison told Motor City Muckraker.
The city last year chose Gilbert and other developers to build and redevelop a large swath of historic Brush Park. The two partners are Sam Thomas and Marvin Beatty, chief community officer for Greektown Casino-Hotel, which Gilbert owns.
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Steve Neavling
Steve Neavling lives and works in Detroit as an investigative journalist. His stories have uncovered corruption, led to arrests and reforms and prompted FBI investigations.
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