Perfecting Church cuts deal to restart construction
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The unfinished church project at Woodward and 7 Mile. Photo: Joe Guillen/Axios
Perfecting Church could restart construction by next spring on its long-stalled church project under a legal settlement reached with the city Friday.
Why it matters: Construction of the planned 4,200-seat church, administration building and parking structure has remained unfinished since work began 18 years ago, leaving a vacant shell that the city believes is a public nuisance.
- The settlement sets a schedule for its completion at the prominent Woodward and 7 Mile intersection.
State of play: The lawsuit — filed in February against the church and its pastor, gospel star Marvin Winans — is one of nearly a dozen the city has filed to compel owners of large, vacant properties to fix them up.
- The cases are part of a blight-elimination campaign to encourage development along the city's commercial corridors.
- Winans told Axios the church will work with the city to finish the project.
Details: Perfecting must acquire the necessary permits, zoning approvals and construction financing plans under the timeline set out in the settlement, which was announced Friday in Wayne County Circuit Court.
- Perfecting could be back in court if the timeline isn't followed.
Between the lines: As part of the deal, the city admitted to violating the Freedom of Information Act by not responding properly to public records requests the church submitted before the lawsuit was filed.
- Because Perfecting could be awarded attorneys' fees as a result of the admission, all outstanding blight tickets and correction orders against Perfecting, of unknown value, were dismissed.
- The records requests sought copies of the church's outstanding violations and Zoom recordings of meetings between the two sides.
What's next: Perfecting must provide a building status report by a certified structural engineer by the end of the month.