A rendering of the new proposal for the Gratiot Life Sciences Building. Photo: Screenshot from City Planning Commission documents
After a long road to get something built on the infamous Gratiot Avenue "fail jail" site near downtown, there's yet another proposal in the works — and it's even smaller than before.
The latest: Dan Gilbert's Bedrock wants to shrink its planned Gratiot Life Sciences Building on the vacant site near I-375 from five stories to two, Daily Detroit recently reported.
It's the latest of many undelivered ideas for the property in the last decade, including a soccer stadium.
Between the lines: The change is due to an unnamed tenant withdrawing, per the City Planning Commission. The BAMF Health medical center is still slated to open there, taking the ground floor. No tenant is specified yet for the second floor.
What they're saying: "I'm all for jobs. And this project seems like a positive for patients," Daily Detroit's Jer Staes wrote.
"But I can't help but ask: Why are we building a new two-story building in the heart of downtown Detroit? … It feels like this is a missed opportunity... or concerningly, is this the best we can do?"
What's next: The City Planning Commission must consider the request to modify Bedrock's plans in order to construct the building.
