Demolition paving way for a $45M performing arts center halted by city of Detroit

By Peter Maxwell

Click here for updates on this story

    DETROIT (WXYZ) — There’s a legal battle brewing on the border of Detroit and Grosse Pointe Park over an art center. A developer purchased the old Grosse Pointe Park Public Works building, but the problem is the property is half on the Detroit side and half on the Grosse Pointe Park side.

The city of Detroit filed an 8-page lawsuit halting the demolition of the building because they say the property owner only got permission from Grosse Pointe Park to do the demolition.

Demolition was halted on March 28.

The developers wanted to build the parking lot and a loading drive for trucks at the corner of Jefferson and Alter, but the city claims in the lawsuit that “because the property is located in the Jefferson Chalmers Historic Business District…how the land is used must be approved by the city’s Historic District Commission.

The lawsuit adds that the design for the parking and loading drive would “disrupt the pedestrian character of the district.” They also claim that the pre-war apartment buildings on Alter could be heavily impacted.

“The city should just let that go and let them do what they need to do,” Detroit resident Maurice Robinson said.

Jaime Turnbull with the Urban Renewal Initiative Foundation tells 7 Action News that a memo of understanding was signed in 2019 by Mayor Mike Duggan and former planning director Maurice Cox. The plan was also passed by the Detroit City Council.

Right now, attorneys on both sides are discussing the stop work order tied to the demolition problem.

As of right now, the foundation is required to get a building permit to put a parking lot here. There will be internal discussions Thursday between the foundation and the commission.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.