Michigan Real Estate News

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Developer Backs Away From Big Boy Site

The site of Detroit’s only Big Boy restaurant, across from Belle Isle, is back on the market. The Platform LLC has backed away from its plans to build new apartments on the site. The Farbman Group is marketing the property for an undisclosed price. According to a Platform spokesperson, the company remains committed to its work in Detroit. The Platform had envisioned an 8-10-story apartment building with 240 studio, one- and two-bedroom units.

Book Mansion Hits Market Soon

The James Burgess Book Jr. mansion on East Jefferson Avenue will most likely hit the market for sale in the very near future. The property has been taken back by a foreclosing lender. The 1911, 12,000-square-foot building had been owned by Historic Book House LLC. The approximate $1.245 million mortgage is from December 2016. Soaring Pine Capital Real Estate and Debt Fund II are the lenders. The deadline to redeem the property by paying $937,006 plus interest is January 29. According to a Soaring Pine representative, that is unlikely to happen. The occupants had planned to hold orchestral concerts for the Ars Poetica Chamber Orchestra and give music lessons to pay back the loan. Unfortunately, those plans went by the wayside with the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Port Authority Raises Concerns Over Boblo Building Destruction

Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority alleges that the Ambassador Port Co. is not taking the appropriate steps toward demolishing the Boblo building. According to the port authority’s law firm, Ambassador Port is acting in violation of its Master Concession Agreement with DWCPA.  The razing of the Boblo building is included in a pending deal between the two parties. The agreement would end the Master Concession Agreement, and Ambassador Port would gain ownership of the dock site from the port authority. In exchange, it would pay $1 million outright, waive the authority’s $2 million debt, and pay $2 million in blight removal and cleanup work. The deal requires Detroit City Council approval to move forward. The possibility of the building’s destruction before the pending deal is finalized is concerning to the port authority.