OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Detroit Economic Development Committee Meeting - October 30, 2025

City Council — Friday, October 31, 2025
BodyDetroit, Michigan
SessionCity Council
DateFriday, October 31, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:31:34

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Economic Development Standing Committee for today, Thursday, October 30th, 2025.

0:06

Mr.

0:06

Clerk, will you please call the roll?

0:08

Good afternoon.

0:09

Council President Pro Tem James Tate.

0:11

Yep.

0:12

Councilmember Frederick Hall III.

0:14

Councilmember Letitia Johnson.

0:16

President.

0:17

Mr.

0:17

Pro Tem, there's a quorum.

0:18

Thank you.

0:19

We have a quorum, which means we're now in session.

0:22

We will now everybody's just popping up on the screen.

0:26

You're on your way.

0:27

But I'm glad they're here because we'll now like to call back to order the 1105 public hearing.

0:36

That is for a request for a commercial rehabilitation certificate for the Broderick Tower LLC in the area of 10 Withall Street and 1556 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, according to public act.

0:54

210 of 2005.

0:57

The parties who are participating, when you see yourself on the screen, please introduce yourselves for the record.

1:06

Good afternoon.

1:07

Good day.

1:11

Good night.

1:22

Uh consultant to the developer.

1:26

And that's it.

1:29

Do we have some other folks joining us?

1:34

Yes, we have the developer.

1:36

Ara, could you introduce yourself?

1:40

You're muted.

1:44

My apologies to everybody.

1:46

Uh R Drakson from TIR Equities Developer.

1:50

And sorry for the latent aisle O4 housing and revitalization department.

1:55

Good afternoon.

1:56

Good afternoon.

1:57

All right, Mr.

1:58

Cook, floor is yours.

1:59

And if uh anyone else is going to join us, we'll allow them to do so as the presentation um progresses.

2:06

All right, thank you.

2:09

To the chair, Brad Tower RLC is requesting a commercial rehabilitation certificate in the area of 10 Whitegroff Street and 1556 Woodward Avenue.

2:21

This application is for a certificate, and this is the final public hearing currently scheduled in front of this honorable committee before a certificate may be approved and issue.

2:30

The DEGC and petitioners present to answer any additional questions.

2:35

Thank you.

2:35

Thank you.

2:36

Thank you, Justice.

2:37

To the chair, may I share my screen, please, sir?

2:40

Yes, sir.

2:41

Thank you.

2:48

All right.

2:49

So uh today we have come before this honorable body to request a commercial rehabilitation exemption certificate for the Broderick Tower project being led by the development team of TIR equities.

3:04

The developer will invest 45.6 million dollars to acquire and renovate the Broadway Tower located in the heart of downtown.

3:12

This renovation includes 125 residential units, with 25 of them being offered at 60% AI AMI and approximately 8,900 square feet of commercial space to include a fitness, uh wellness bar, a speakeasy lounge, and a bodega style market.

3:33

The commercial rehabilitation act provides a reduction on the future increase in property taxes as a result of the rehabilitation of commercial and residential properties, including new construction.

3:45

If you turn your attention to year zero, you'll see a small dark green bar representing the amount of taxes to be paid on the property.

3:52

This works out to be approximately 493,000 per year.

3:57

Moving on to year one, you'll see that this bar increases and that represents the total amount of taxes that we project based on the investment that will be made into the project.

4:06

Upon completion of the project, the assessor will reassess the property, and as a result of the improvements, the property's value will increase.

4:14

The owners will then be responsible for paying a piece of that increase in taxes represented by the till portion on the bar graph.

4:21

The total taxes that first year will be roughly $642,000, and the abated portion will be approximately 105,000, represented as the yellow bar on the graph.

4:32

Through the life of the abatement, the owner will pay the dark green and the till portion shown on the bar graph.

4:38

Assuming that they received the full term of the abatement in year 11, after the abatement has expired, they will be responsible for the entire amount of taxes, which is approximately $680.

4:50

$680,000.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Contract Management██████████████████████22%
Affordable Housing██████████████████18%
Economic Development█████████████13%
Homelessness███████████11%
Housing████████8%
Public Comment██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Accessibility████4%
Land Bank████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Detroit Economic Development Committee Meeting Summary

The Economic Development Standing Committee convened on October 30, 2025, to review multiple public hearings, contract amendments, and property transactions. The primary focus was a public hearing for a commercial rehabilitation certificate for the Broderick Tower project, which sparked significant discussion regarding affordable housing units and ADA accessibility, ultimately resulting in the item being tabled for further review. The committee also addressed a series of contract requests related to homelessness services, neighborhood beautification, and property acquisitions/sales, generally approving items with recommendations or deferring those requiring additional data.

Consent Calendar

  • No items were processed via a collective consent calendar; all agenda items were discussed individually.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Owner Papa: Expressed strong opposition, stating the project is a poor use of funds because it supports private upgrades rather than the housing crisis. The speaker noted the project lacks three-bedroom units and that 60% AMI affordability excludes the majority of Detroit residents who do not earn $19/hour.
  • William M. Davis: Expressed concern regarding the lack of information on stormwater management and drainage fees. The speaker stated they do not believe this project is a good idea compared to previous proposals they supported.
  • iPhone (Guest): Expressed concern that the affordable housing rent quotes do not seem truly affordable, questioning if utilities and parking are included for those units. The caller argued the current pricing leaves out a large population of people.
  • Marguerite Scarlet Maddox: Expressed support for design standards regarding accessibility (88%), specifically requesting rolling showers, side-by-side washers, and emergency notification tools for the deaf and hard of hearing to ensure safety during fires or polling emergencies.
  • Test Soil First, No More Dirty Dirt: The first caller was unable to connect or speak, and comments were not recorded.

Discussion Items

  • Broderick Tower LLC (Line Item 1105): The developer, TIR Equities, proposed a $45.6 million renovation to create 125 units (25 affordable at 60% AMI) and commercial space.

    • Councilmember Letitia Johnson: Expressed hesitation and concern regarding the low number of ADA accessible units (only three anticipated in the entire tower) and the need for more detailed information on emergency notifications for the deaf and hard of hearing. The councilmember noted that Housing Revitalization Department (HRD) staff had not previously raised these concerns.
    • Ari Garakshman (Developer): Stated that the project is currently within building code regarding ADA units but expressed willingness to convert additional units if a demonstrated need is shown. The developer confirmed that affordable unit rents include utility bills.
    • Councilmember James Tate & others: Discussed the need to flush out ADA and accessibility details before approval. Councilmember Johnson formally requested further information on ADA compliance.
    • Outcome: The committee voted to table the item for one week to allow for further discussion on ADA accessibility and the number of accessible units.

  • Detroit Land Bank Authority Items:

    • Councilmember Mary Waters submitted memoranda regarding outstanding tax abatements (Line 9.4) and intergovernmental agreements (Line 9.7).
    • The committee moved to bring back Line 9.4 and other related items (9.1, 9.2, 9.5, 9.6, 10.17) for a date to be determined.
    • Line 9.7 was moved to remove from the agenda as it appeared to have been previously addressed.

  • Contract Amendments & Funding (Lines 10.1 - 10.13):

    • Line 10.1 (Beautification Grant): Approved to extend time and increase funds for the FCA Stillantis neighborhood beautification program.
    • Line 10.2 (Real Token Properties): Approved emergency contract for legal assistance and case management for tenants in real token properties.
    • Line 10.3 (Housing Website): Approved amendment for a pilot universal pre-application project; funding source breakdown (ARPA/City) noted for correction.
    • Line 10.4 (Homelessness Services): Approved increase of funds ($847,630) to provide case management for "doubled up" households with minor children to prevent entry into the emergency shelter system.
    • Line 10.5 (Neighborhood Opportunity Funds): Approved increase of funds for nonprofit grants, clarifying that Councilmember Durhall allocated specific ARPA funds for this purpose.
    • Line 10.6 (Street Medicine): Approved extension and fund increase for unsheltered homelessness services.
    • Line 10.7 (Drop-in Shelter Beds): Approved funds for 220 beds (clarified as ~195-220 beds in private rooms) at Community Social Services (CAPS) for families and single adults.
    • Line 10.8 (Evaluation Software): Deferred for one week pending a response regarding the need for public investment evaluation software.
    • Line 10.9 (Homeless Outreach): Approved contract for Motor City MINT and Mission outreach.
    • Line 10.10 (Down Payment Assistance): Approved contract for National Faith Home Buyers.
    • Line 10.11 (Jefferson Triangle): Deferred for one week for further review of the flood mitigation study project manager contract.
    • Line 10.12 (Famly Shelter): Approved contract for 50 beds in a former nursing home for winter surge capacity.
    • Line 10.13 & 10.14 (New Awards): Approved annual awards for Home, ARP, CDBG, and other housing funds.

  • Property Transactions (Lines 10.18 - 10.25):

    • Line 10.18 & 10.19: Approved city acquisition of properties for $100 (Strathmore Street) and 3528 4th Street.
    • Line 10.20: Approved transfer of jurisdiction for 16 parcels from PD to General Services/Detroit Parks.
    • Line 10.21: Approved sale of property at 3239 Puritan.
    • Line 10.22: Deferred for two weeks regarding the sale of St. Jean/140 Terminal to Goat Yard Marine LLC.
    • Line 10.23: Approved sale of property at 563 Harper Avenue.
    • Line 10.24: Deferred for one week regarding the sale of an old car wash at 2501 Finkel Avenue due to concerns about blight and lack of a development agreement timeline.
    • Line 10.25: Deferred to November 13th pending the public hearing on the Uniroyal site.

Key Outcomes

  • Deferral: Line Item 1105 (Broderick Tower Certificate) was tabled for one week to address ADA accessibility questions and the number of compliant units.
  • Approval (Recommendation to Formal): Line Items 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.9, 10.10, 10.12, 10.13, 10.14, 10.18, 10.19, 10.20, and 10.21 were sent forward with a recommendation to approve.
  • Deferral (Bring Back): Line Items 9.1, 9.2, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, 9.7 (removed), 9.8 (filed), 10.8, 10.11, 10.15, 10.22, 10.24, and 10.25 were brought back to a future date for further review or hearings.
  • Procedural: The committee agreed to bring back Land Bank items for a date to be determined before the session recesses.
  • Next Meeting: The committee is adjourned, with the next meeting scheduled for the following Thursday. The Planning Commission will hold a site plan review for the Uniroyal site on November 6th.

Meeting Transcript

Economic Development Standing Committee for today, Thursday, October 30th, 2025. Mr. Clerk, will you please call the roll? Good afternoon. Council President Pro Tem James Tate. Yep. Councilmember Frederick Hall III. Councilmember Letitia Johnson. President. Mr. Pro Tem, there's a quorum. Thank you. We have a quorum, which means we're now in session. We will now everybody's just popping up on the screen. You're on your way. But I'm glad they're here because we'll now like to call back to order the 1105 public hearing. That is for a request for a commercial rehabilitation certificate for the Broderick Tower LLC in the area of 10 Withall Street and 1556 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, according to public act. 210 of 2005. The parties who are participating, when you see yourself on the screen, please introduce yourselves for the record. Good afternoon. Good day. Good night. Uh consultant to the developer. And that's it. Do we have some other folks joining us? Yes, we have the developer. Ara, could you introduce yourself? You're muted. My apologies to everybody. Uh R Drakson from TIR Equities Developer. And sorry for the latent aisle O4 housing and revitalization department. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. All right, Mr. Cook, floor is yours. And if uh anyone else is going to join us, we'll allow them to do so as the presentation um progresses. All right, thank you. To the chair, Brad Tower RLC is requesting a commercial rehabilitation certificate in the area of 10 Whitegroff Street and 1556 Woodward Avenue. This application is for a certificate, and this is the final public hearing currently scheduled in front of this honorable committee before a certificate may be approved and issue. The DEGC and petitioners present to answer any additional questions. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Justice. To the chair, may I share my screen, please, sir? Yes, sir. Thank you. All right. So uh today we have come before this honorable body to request a commercial rehabilitation exemption certificate for the Broderick Tower project being led by the development team of TIR equities. The developer will invest 45.6 million dollars to acquire and renovate the Broadway Tower located in the heart of downtown. This renovation includes 125 residential units, with 25 of them being offered at 60% AI AMI and approximately 8,900 square feet of commercial space to include a fitness, uh wellness bar, a speakeasy lounge, and a bodega style market.

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