Owner of non-GM RenCen office tower looks to expand potential uses



The new owner of one of the Renaissance Center office towers next to the General Motors complex is looking for the flexibility to change its use.
An entity called Michigan Acquisition East LLC that’s tied to Farmington Hills-based Friedman Real Estate owns the 600 tower, a 21-story, 336,000-square-foot building at St. Antoine Street and East Jefferson Avenue. Michigan Acquisition East LLC is seeking Planning Commission approval to expand the building’s potential uses. Its current planned development, or PD, zoning district only allows for office use. The Friedman affiliate is looking for an amendment that would allow for most uses currently permitted in the B5 zoning district, which includes things like multifamily housing, hotel, office and other uses under the city’s zoning code.Messages were sent to Friedman as well as Planning Commission representatives on Friday and Monday seeking additional details on the proposed change.




The planning commission meeting is May 16, and the public hearing on the rezoning request starts at 6 p.m., according to a city notice that went out Friday. Toward the end of 2023, Friedman paid $15 million for the 500 and 600 towers of the Renaissance Center, which had been owned by LMC Phase II, the entity tied to Newark, N.J.-based publicly traded utility company Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. [[NYSE: PEG).
https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...potential-uses