Washtenaw County Clerk Discovers Racial Restriction Policies

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Washtenaw County’s county clerk, Larry Kestenbaum, has been researching county property records for over 17 years. He has found evidence of racially restrictive covenants all over the county. These policies kept people of color from living in many neighborhoods unless they were in-service for white families. A group called Justice InDeed, along with the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at the University of Michigan  have decided to get involved with the project. Together with Kestenbaum’s office, they filed paperwork to officially repeal and replace the 1947 whites-only policy for the Hannah subdivision in Ann Arbor. Although the restrictions haven’t been legal or enforceable for years, repealing them will affirm the neighborhood’s welcoming inclusivity.

 

Nonprofit Partnership Plans New Multifamily Housing

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CHN Housing Partners, a Cleveland-based nonprofit, is partnering with nonprofit Detroit Blight Busters to build new multifamily housing by Detroit’s Old Redford Neighborhood. The two nonprofits were approved to rezone the property for the project, but still need site plan approval from the city. They plan to build 48 one- to three-bedroom rental units. A “Kid’s Camp” will also be constructed for Blight Busters programs on youth fitness and nutrition. Construction is expected to start in 2023.

 

 

Fairlane Town Center Sale Expected Soon

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New York city-based company is expected to close next month on the Fairlane Town Center shopping mall in Dearborn. Should the sale fall through with the undisclosed buyer, a back-up buyer is ready to sign a contract and move forward. Fairlane Town Center was built in 1976 and has had financial struggles in recent years. The current ownership is behind on its debts.

 

 

Bedrock LLC Snags The Largest CMBS Loan In Detroit’s History

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Bedrock LLC has refinanced 14 properties with a $430 million CMBS loan. It is the largest-ever commercial mortgage securities loan in Detroit’s history. The new seven-year loan will mature in January 2029. The portfolio has seven office buildings totaling 2.5 million square feet, five parking decks with over 5,000 spaces and two multifamily properties. The fact that the loan was issued during a global pandemic when workers are continuing to work from home speaks to the confidence of the lenders. The portfolio’s office stock and parking deck revenue are both impacted by the work-from-home trend.

 

 

Vacant Detroit Homes Rehabbed and Reoccupied

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Thousands of once-vacant Detroit homes have been rehabbed and reoccupied over the last two years. U.S. Postal Service data shows that more than 9,000 Detroit residences that were vacant in January 2020 are now occupied.  With about 4,000 once-occupied homes that are now vacant, the net increase in occupied housing is more than 6,000. The postal service data looks at whole residences, not individual units. The data shows a healthy housing market. The newly occupied properties are scattered around the city, not located in any one part.

 

 

Asphalt Specialists Appeals to City Officials

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Asphalt Specialists, Inc. wants Detroit’s Board of Zoning Appeals to allow construction of an asphalt mixing facility on Detroit’s northwest side. The project had faced opposition from community members and had been rejected by Detroit’s Buildings, Safety, Engineering and Environmental Department late last year. They are proposing a 25-acre facility in an area already zoned for intensive industrial use. The site would have 50-feet-high silos for mixing and storing raw aggregate like gravel and asphalt. The proposal was rejected due to concerns about its proximity to residential neighborhoods.

 

 

Dearborn Mayor Has High Hopes For Fairlane Town Center

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The Dearborn Mayor hopes to turn the Fairlane Town Center site into the “heartbeat of our city.” Affordable housing and green space are only two of the many possibilities that could reinvigorate the mall. He wants to brainstorm with business leaders to improve the space. Mayor Hammoud envisions an affordable housing project, a public health project, an environmental sustainability project, and a flood mitigation project. He wants to pitch ideas to area developers to formulate a plan that will utilize the available city, county and state resources.

 

 

Eastern Market Redevelopment Adds New Food And Bar Features

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The northern end of Detroit’s Eastern Market food district is headed for redevelopment. The former Detroit Water and Sewerage Department building is being redeveloped as The Mosaic. Robert Montwaid, who created Gensevoort Market in New York City and Chattahoochee Food Works in Atlanta,  will build a 25,000-square-foot food hall on the site. A 4,000-square-foot rooftop bar is also planned. Construction on the $33 million redevelopment is set to begin this year and is expected to be complete in 2024. The food hall and bar will be open next year.

 

Detroit To Spend Pandemic Relief On Commercial Demolition

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Detroit plans to spend $95 million over the next four years to get rid of or improve vacant business structures across the city. The efforts will use more than 10% of its federal COVID-19 pandemic recovery monies on commercial blight remediation. Previously, the city’s blight removal focus has been more on residential than commercial. The American Rescue Plan Act dollars is changing that. The effort isn’t just about removal, but about preparing for opportunities that will come after demolition.

 

 

Lyon Township Approves Plan For Orchard Crossing Development At Erwin’s Property

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The Lyon Township Planning Commission recommended final plan approval for residential components of the Orchard Crossing development on the Erwin Orchards site.  It will create 121 single family homes and 40 duplex homes on 77 acres. The orchard’s operations will continue for now. A pedestrian crossing over Silver Lake Road has not been resolved, and it will be delayed until there’s further development on the orchard operations. The plan includes a paved event center parking lot, a larger bake shop and farmer’s market, a tasting room and a possible drive-thru. The construction of homes will be done in four phases as homes sell, but there isn’t a specific construction timeline.