Detroit PED Committee Meeting Summary: Oct 29, 2026

The Detroit City Council Planning and Economic Development (PED) Standing Committee, chaired by Councilmember Letitia Johnson, met on October 29, 2026. The meeting featured two major public hearings: the approval of an Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Certificate for a project in New Center and a highly contested public hearing on the Transformational Brownfield Plan (TBP) for the Renaissance Center (RenCen) and East Riverfront redevelopment. The committee heard extensive public testimony and deliberated on the $2.2 billion project before scheduling its next review for November 12, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• Meeting minutes approved.
• Multiple property sales (1003 Lowdale, 12160 Gloverdale, and others) were approved and sent to the formal council session.
• Contract 600797 with Detroit Revival Engaging American Muslims for community land trust planning ($298,400) approved.
• Various reports were received and filed.

Public Comments & Testimony

General Public Comment

• Eden Bloom (Detroit People's Platform) and Theo Pride (Detroit People's Platform) questioned the process, specifically an NDA blocking the Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) from financial details and the shift to a non-profit (C4) ownership model.
• Strong support for the East Riverfront project was voiced by numerous speakers including Emil Boyer (resident), Ronald Smith (District 7 resident), Chip Roadie (Rivertown Detroit Association), Pat McCloskey (Motor City Electric), Johnny Cannon (Joe Lewis Southern Kitchen), Joe Lewis Barrow II (son of Joe Lewis), Claude Molinari (Visit Detroit), Clifford A. Brown, Gina Cavalier (Downtown Detroit Partnership), Charity Dean (Michigan Black Business Alliance), Evans Janice (Real Estate Association of Developers), and Daryl Woods.
• Kelly Tyrrell (Black Women Boaters Club) expressed conditional support, urging the preservation of Riverside Marina.
• Nicole Small and Taron Haynes (who identified himself as a NAC member) strongly criticized the process. Haynes stated the NAC was denied access to financial documents and meeting recordings, alleging violations of the NAC's charter.
• Concerns about scope, equity, and process were raised by Sahira Amai, Chedante Smith, William M. Davis (Detroit Active Retired Employee Association), Luella Pizzuti, and Tyson Gersh.

Public Hearing 1020: Obsolete Property Rehab (New Center 2nd Ave)

• Darren Kilgore and Miata Richardson (SCL Supportive Services) presented their $1.9 million project at 7601 2nd Avenue. The project seeks a 12-year PA146 tax abatement for a commercial rehab creating 20-25 permanent jobs and an estimated $333,865 in net fiscal benefit. Public comment was overwhelmingly supportive of the Black husband-and-wife team.

Public Hearing 1040: RenCen Transformational Brownfield Plan (TBP)

• Supporters included the Mayor's Office (Brittany Hoskew), developers (Ken Allen), labor (Adam Majestic), clergy (Pastor Mo), and residents (Seth, Rod Hardeman, David Lilly). They argued it is a generational opportunity to create a world-class riverfront, providing massive job creation and a significant increase in city tax revenue (from ~$700K/year to ~$10M/year).
• Opponents and Skeptics included residents, transparency advocates, and NAC members. Kelly Tyrrell and Tracy opposed demolishing the iconic RenCen towers. Clarice Cochran and Allie Chemistry criticized the corporate tax incentive model. Cindy Dara and Luella Pizzuti demanded stronger accountability for developer commitments. Clara DeCastro raised detailed technical questions about the TBP structure.

Discussion Items

New Center 2nd Avenue

• Approved with minimal discussion; Chair Johnson noted her desire for similar projects on the east side.

Renaissance Center / East Riverfront

• Presentations:
  • Brian Vosberg (DEGC/DBRA) explained the $300M TBP (state tax capture only, 20-year term) meets the state cap with Phases 1 and 2.
  • David Howell (DEGC) detailed the "But For" analysis. The project is un-financeable (DSCR of 0.77) without the full incentive stack ($548M), which brings the DSCR to 1.2. The city is projected to receive $301.9M in net fiscal benefit over 30 years, including a $95M PILOT payment.
  • Justin Barry (Bedrock) confirmed Bedrock and GM are donating $1.25B to a new non-profit (C4) that will own the project. No development fees or tax deductions are being taken. A $43.5M CBA package was negotiated with the NAC.
• Council Deliberation & Questions:
  • Councilmember Santiago Romero asked about the loss of Utility Users Tax (UUT) and clarified the $95M pilot includes $5M going to an affordable housing trust fund.
  • Pro Tem Young requested granularity on the economic impact (GDP, indirect jobs, revenue sharing).
  • Chair Johnson pressed the Law Department and PDD on NAC transparency. Brian Coe (Law) defended the NDA and stated the CBO process was fully compliant. Edwina King (PDD) defended the NAC's internal negotiations. Johnson stated her intention to have council earmark all pilot funds.
  • Councilmember McCampbell confirmed Bedrock will receive no management or development fees from the non-profit.
  • Councilmember Benson calculated the Net Present Value (NPV) of the incentives (~$150M) vs. the benefits (~$100M), requesting a full NPV analysis for the next meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Line Item 5 (New Center 2nd Ave PA146): Approved and sent to formal council session.
• Line Item 7 (RenCen TBP & incentives): The public hearing concluded. The item was ordered brought back on November 12, 2026 for further deliberation alongside the formal CBA presentation. A full NPV analysis of the deal for the city was requested.
• Unfinished/New Business: Several property sales approved, various reports and contract awards adopted.