A city-county land swap will allow Dan Gilbert to reimagine a former jail, plus build an entirely new one.
The "most imprisoned nation in the world," the U.S. has more than 5,000 jails and prisons nationwide. One of the most recent, Detroit Free Press reports, is a $520.3 million jail complex moving ahead in Wayne County. Detroit City Council approved a deal crucial to the development this week after a county judge denied a lawsuit seeking to block the project.
The development by Rock Ventures—the company owned by billionaire Dan Gilbert—relies on a land swap between Detroit and Wayne County that gives the city the former American Motors headquarters in exchange for an 11-acre site for the new jail. (That agreement still has to be inked by the county.) As part of the deal, Rock Ventures would also be able to redevelop the site of the existing, unfinished Wayne County jail project with a $1 billion commercial project.
The new jail site isn't zoned for institutional living, according to the lawsuit, which claimed the proposal ignored city zoning and land-use ordinances and dodged required studies on traffic impacts and historic preservation.
FULL STORY: Judge halts lawsuit seeking to block land swap deal to build Wayne Co. jail
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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