Detroit developer, landlord Michael Higgins dead at 74

Longtime Detroit developer and landlord Michael Higgins died Sunday, September 3, 2023. He was 74.A cause of death was not released but it was described as unexpected.

Higgins had been involved in Detroit real estate for decades, with his most notable project being the $55 million redevelopment, along with other investors, in the early 2010s of the Broderick Tower high-rise on Grand Circus Park. It opened in 2012.

Other projects included the Elliott Building at 1403 Woodward Ave., now owned by Dan Gilbert.

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"We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Mike Higgins," his company, Midwest Real Estate Assets, said in a statement. "Mike was a true visionary in urban redevelopment in Detroit. The company's employees, investors, as well as the many tenants and neighbors whose lives he touched mourn his loss." At the time of his death, he had been working on a large redevelopment of the Leland Hotel downtown as well as a mixed-use project in the West Village neighborhood at East Jefferson and Van Dyke. Demolition started on the latter in recent days.Those projects have faced legal battles in recent years, with the city suing over conditions at the Leland and an architecture firm suing him over unpaid bills on the West Village project.

In addition to those properties, information provided by his company on Wednesday says he had various West Village properties, a 25-unit condominium building on East Jefferson, and vacation condos in St. Thomas, Aspen and Bay Harbor that are all occupied or leased as rentals by property managers.

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Detroit developer, landlord Michael Higgins dead at 74 | Crain's Detroit Business [[crainsdetroit.com)

Interestingly enough... I just posted about his major project that he was struggling with... the Leland Hotel... on the DTE Energy thread...

https://www.freep.com/picture-galler...b/10579850002/

Maybe this beautiful 1920s hotel will be bought up by Dan Gilbert... it would very much benefit from a Book Tower type restoration... and it is a rarity among downtown Hotels... it was continuously operating since it opened in 1927. However, Mr. Higgins did not have deep pockets, and the state of the building [as seen in the link above] was in serious need of maintenance.

Michael Higgins has had a spotty record development wise. He purchased the Broderick Tower, the Farwell Building in Capitol Park, and the Leland Hotel back in the 70s at bargain basement prices. Unfortunately he never had deep pockets to restore them, sold the Farwell to the state of Michigan, not privy to his financing for the Broderick Tower, and his recent struggles to develop the Leland Hotel.

Thankfully none of his buildings were "demolished by neglect" as is the case with the Ilitches, although the Farwell was stripped.

Here is a November 2022 DYES thread about the Leland House and Michael Higgins...
https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showth...e-Leland-Hotel

Here is a more extensive writeup on Michael Higgins, including him overstretching himself by buying cheap buildings, and then being a slumlord.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...d/70779874007/

I have an acquaintance who knew of him, saying he was a presence in the Detroit gay community, which might explain the comment in the Freep article about him not having any immediate family.

So I would assume that his real estate holdings will likely end up on the market. :confused:

Rest in peace, Mr. Higgins. Hopefully, your long-delayed, but recently-begun mixed-use project at East Jefferson & Van Dyke will be built to completion.

http://www.berardipartners.com/proje...rson-van-dyke/

The problem was that he didn't have deep pockets and financial backer as Gilbert have.

No tears shed here. He could be a predator in his personal life, I can attest to that first hand. That was in '78, I avoided him like the plague after that.