A very interesting article by Kirk Pinho of Crain's Detroit Business answers this question. Not surprisingly it is the Dan Gilbert story but the details and this graphic are revealing. The main point is how little of a role governmental units now play. Wish it would have detailed Ilitchville percentages.

It wasn't long ago that governments made big splashes in greater downtown real estate, buying landmark properties and turning them into executive offices.
These days, however, you'd be hard-pressed to find a real estate broker who reasonably expects a governmental unit to be a serious contender for greater downtown property in Detroit.

Case in point: Since the beginning of 2013, government units have only purchased two properties downtown. Those buildings, in Capitol Park and Paradise Valley, total just shy of 8,000 square feet.

Compare that with 2000 to 2010, when governmental units purchased 2.32 million square feet of space... Read Full Crain's Article >>