University of Michigan board OKs construction of $250M Detroit satellite campus

[Airforceguy]

We shall see if construction actually starts before the end of the year...

During its meeting on Thursday, which was held at the UM Flint campus, the board took key steps needed for the University of Michigan Center for Innovation to become reality. The approval was not on the board's agenda. There had been no indication during the meeting that a vote or discussion had been planned until it started around 5 p.m., an hour after the meeting began.The regents signed off on the construction of the UMCI, as well as accepting a $100 million donation from developer Stephen M. Ross and accepting a land donation from the Ilitch family. In addition, the board signed off on the university paying the Ilitches north of $1 million for a chunk of land on which a student parking structure would be built.



Groundbreaking is still expected by the end of the year.

"Making the most transformative projects a reality is never easy," Ross said in a statement. "We've traveled a long road together to arrive at this important moment. Bringing the UMCI to life has taken the hard work of so many—elected officials, the leadership at the University of Michigan, and the people of Detroit, especially the mayor. I look forward to our continued collaboration and Detroit's role in Michigan's bright future." The proposed $250 million graduate school satellite campus is years in the making. It first became public in May 2019 with a proposal pitched at a site best known as the former home of the half-built Wayne County Consolidated Jail project.

It was formally announced in October 2019 as a collaboration between Ross, mortgage and real estate billionaire Dan Gilbert and the university. The vision shifted over the years, including to a new spot in the District Detroit area to serve as sort of a second anchor for the area largely controlled by the Ilitch family.When the Ilitches brought in Ross, they also pitched 10 new and redeveloped buildings as part of a $1.53 billion series of development proposals, the first of which was to start this year but has not yet broken ground. The Ilitches and the Detroit Wayne County Stadium Authority continue to negotiate over the purchase of key properties that are meant to house some of the new buildings, the Detroit Free Press reported last month. One appraisal for the properties ordered by the county came in at $35.3 million, while an Ilitch family-commissioned appraisal came in at $25.5 million, a nearly $10 million gulf, the Freep reported.
UM took over development duties for the University of Michigan Center for Innovation — previously called the Detroit Center for Innovation — earlier this year.

"The University of Michigan Center for Innovation will produce lasting, inclusive economic impact for the city and state, especially attracting and retaining a new generation of top talent and global companies in Detroit," Related and Olympia said in a statement. "As a world-class institution delivering talent to leading companies across the U.S., we believe the University of Michigan is uniquely positioned to lead a talent revolution in Michigan and we are thrilled to have the university in The District Detroit."

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...-gets-board-ok

[401don]

Can't believe U of M hadn't even approved this yet. Meanwhile Ilitch gets a nice tax break for donating land, they buy another plot from him for one million and his businesses wil benefit from all the students in the area. Sweet, no wonder he coached them away from fail jail.

[Hypestyles]

make it happen and make it happen now.

[Gistok]

make it happen and make it happen now.

Hell yes!! The foot dragging by the Ilitches is legendary...

I'm kind of curious about the Wayne County Authority owned property [obviously used by the Ilitches as a parking cash cow]... Are they talking about land over by Grand River?? I didn't know that land that far west was part of the Stadia land owned by the county authority.

Also, Stephen Ross is in his mid 80s. He's no spring chicken... and I was worried if he might croak before donating the $100 million to the project. Now that appears that the money is "in hand" by the University. Good!!

[canuck]

I like that building, but I’m afraid to say why…

Well, not really, it looks like a World War One tank, on a roll…

[K-slice]

This and the HFHS are the two most critical projects for the cities future. Both will bring in highly educated and entrepreneurial people to Detroit. Detroit's lack of a diversified economy has been discussed for 50 years now as one of the major problems we have, and I have high hopes that these projects, along with MCS will really change that.

[gratiotfaced]

Michigan Central, HFH/MSU, and this UM research campus will be game changers for the city. We're talking thousands of new jobs and students in the meds/eds/tech sectors downtown within a few years. The income tax revenue alone will be huge, let alone the surrounding development this will catalyze.

The city has needed these recession-proof economic engines for decades and they're finally arriving. I think these projects represent a major turning point in the city's fortunes, from "stabilizing" to hopefully "growing" by decade's end.

[Gistok]

I am pleased that the Royal Order of the Moose Building will be saved and repurposed to be part of this UofM campus. It's too bad that the Ilitches couldn't see the potential and have saved the Chin Tiki restaurant next door. It would have made a great rehab as well.

[renf]

Originally, I thought that the U of M Innovation Center on Woodward near
District Detroit was to be a $600 million investment with some residential
units. Is the current plan a scaled down version of the original plan?

Nevertheless, it is a valuable addition to downtown Detroit and the
state is getting a return for the $17 million it put off to make the
Q line free for several years.
Quite likely there would be many new developments along Woodward
if the Q line were extended to 7 Mile or 8 Mile