New life sciences building rises at former jail site
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Bedrock CEO Jared Fleisher, Mayor Mary Sheffield, Anthony Chang of BAMF Health and Adnan Munkarah of Henry Ford Health at the groundbreaking. Photo: Joe Guillen/Axios
City leaders broke ground Tuesday on a 90,000-square-foot life sciences building at the long-stalled "fail jail" site near Ford Field.
Why it matters: The project, led by Dan Gilbert's Bedrock, is part of Detroit's push to expand its economic base beyond autos by leaning into health care and life sciences.
Details: Henry Ford Health and BAMF Health's Comprehensive Theranostics Center will anchor the new Gratiot Life Sciences Building at 1326 St. Antoine St., which is expected to be completed in 2027.
What they're saying: "This is a revolution in how we treat cancer," Bedrock CEO Jared Fleisher said at the groundbreaking.
- The facility will focus on theranostics, a form of precision medicine that combines imaging and targeted treatment for diseases like cancer.
Catch up quick: Construction at the Gratiot site follows years of shifting plans, from a jail to a soccer stadium.
- The new two-story building is a scaled-down version of earlier proposals for a five-story development.
- The "fail jail" nickname dates back about a decade, referencing a planned Wayne County jail that was canceled in 2017.
State of play: The new building has about 30,000 square feet of space for a future office or medical tenant.
- The building is one piece of a broader redevelopment plan, Fleisher told reporters after the ceremony, although he did not provide details. "There will be more to come," he said.
Zoom out: The project will create about 90 new jobs, per Bedrock, and adds to a growing cluster of life sciences investment in and around downtown, including:
- Henry Ford Health's $3 billion Future of Health expansion in New Center.
- Wayne State's new $200 million Health Sciences Research Building in Midtown.
The bottom line: Mayor Mary Sheffield said the project will help expand access to advanced care.
- "It is about making sure that every Detroiter can receive the highest-quality care right here at home."