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Hillwood
Investment
Properties,
with
local
partner
the
Sterling
Group,
plan
purchase
of
former
Michigan
State
Fairgrounds
DETROIT
- One of
the
largest
private
real
estate
developers
and
investors
Hillwood
Investment
Properties,
along
with
local
partner
the
Sterling
Group,
plan to
purchase
142
acres at
the site
of the
former
Michigan
State
Fairgrounds.
The
proposed
deal
would
bring a
3.8
million
square-foot
facility
with
more
than
1,200
new
full-time
jobs,
Mayor
Mike
Duggan
announced
today.
The
project
will be
privately
financed,
without
the use
of tax
breaks
or other
financial
incentives.
Under
the
terms of
the
proposed
deal,
the
development
team
will pay
$9
million
for the
land
based on
a recent
appraisal,
and pay
$7
million
for a
new DDOT
transit
center.
The
developer
also
will pay
the cost
for any
needed
demolition
and
environmental
remediation
to
prepare
the land
for
redevelopment.
The
proposed
project
remains
in
negotiations
until
all deal
terms
are
final
and
binding
agreements
have
been
approved
by all
parties.
A
purchase
agreement
is
planned
to be
presented
to City
Council
for
consideration
in
September,
after
its
summer
recess.
Hillwood
is
currently
in
negotiations
with
Amazon
to
potentially
be the
first
anchor
tenant
at the
Fairgrounds
and to
occupy
approximately
half of
the
142-acre
site,
which
has been
largely
vacant
and
unused
since
the
State
Fair
left in
2009.
The
developer
also
plans to
redevelop
the
remaining
70 acres
with
auto
parts
suppliers
or other
job
generators.
“What
Detroit
needs
more
than
anything
right
now is
jobs and
we are
deeply
appreciative
that
Hillwood
and the
Sterling
Group
have
made our
city its
choice
to
purchase
the
former
Michigan
State
Fairgrounds
with the
potential
to bring
more
than
1,200
good
paying
jobs,”
said
Mayor
Duggan.
“The
developers
and the
new
tenant
will be
working
closely
with our
team at
Detroit
at Work,
which
will be
helping
to
provide
outstanding
candidates
who are
residents
of the
city.”
“This
agreement
for the
proposed
sale of
the
State
Fair
Grounds
is a
tremendous
opportunity,
not only
for
District
2 and
the City
of
Detroit,
but for
the
unification
of
Southeast
Michigan,”
said
Councilman
Roy
McCalister,
whose
district
includes
the
Fairgrounds
property.
“The
potential
for
1,200
Amazon
jobs
this new
facility
represents
an
opportunity
to
diversify
our
economy
while
employing
residents
of our
City. To
that
end, I
hope and
expect
that
this new
facility
will
become a
major
employer,
as well
as a
dynamic
training
ground
for
Detroit
workers
for
years to
come.”
Development
will
include
new
indoor
transit
center
30,000
riders a
week
from 9
separate
bus
routes
transfer
to DDOT
or SMART
buses on
Woodward
near 8
Mile.
They
currently
wait
either
on the
street
or in a
series
of
outdoor
bus
shelters.
As part
of this
agreement,
the
developer
will pay
$7
million
for the
construction
of a new
indoor
state-of-the-art
transit
center
with an
indoor
waiting
area for
customers
with
heat and
air
conditioning,
a bus
operator
break
room,
clean
bathrooms,
and free
wifi.
The
new
“North”
transit
center
will
provide
indoor
space
similar
to the
Rosa
Parks
Transit
Center
downtown
and and
will
service
passengers
along 6
of
DDOT’s
most
heavily
traveled
routes:
Woodward
(4),
Conant
(12),
Eight
Mile
(17),
Hamilton
(23),
Livernois
(30) &
Wyoming
(54), as
well as
three
SMART
routes.
The new
transit
center
will
also
include
safe,
convenient
pedestrian
connections
to the
Meijer/Gateway
Plaza,
the new
development
at the
State
Fairgrounds,
Woodward
Avenue,
and
State
Fair
Avenue,
a major
need
according
to Glenn
Tolbert,
President
of
Amalgamated
Transit
Union
Local
26.
“This
new
transit
center
will be
a
dramatic
improvement,”
said
Tolbert.
“The
current
transit
center
on
Woodward
is very
difficult
for
drivers
to
navigate
and
provides
no
protection
from the
elements
for our
riders.
Building
this new
center
will be
more
convenient
for our
drivers
and
safer
for our
riders.”
2022
Opening
If City
Council
approves
the plan
by
mid-September,
construction
could
begin by
the end
of
October,
Mayor
Duggan
said.
The new
facility
and
transit
center
are
expected
to begin
operations
in
mid-2022.
Development
Team to
build
The
development
team for
this
project
will be
led by
Hillwood
Investment
Properties
out of
Texas,
which
has
built
Amazon
fulfillment
sites in
states
across
the
country,
including
recent
ones in
Pennsylvania,
Mississippi,
Wisconsin
and
Tennessee.
Hillwood
has
partnered
with
Detroit
headquartered
The
Sterling
Group,
which
managed
other
major
projects,
including
the
renovation
of the
historic
Guardian
Building
in
downtown
Detroit.
“Hillwood
is
honored
to be
working
with the
Mayor
and City
of
Detroit
on
bringing
jobs,
investment,
and
redevelopment
to the
former
State
Fairgrounds
site,”
said
Ross
Perot
Jr,
Chairman
of
Hillwood
and the
Perot
Group.
“We see
this as
an
opportunity
to team
up with
Sterling
Group
again to
showcase
our
company’s
ability
to
transform
the site
into a
new hub
for
e-commerce
innovation
and
excellence.”
Detroit
At Work
to
prepare
Detroiters
for new
opportunities
In
addition
to its
customized
training
programs
to
prepare
Detroiters
for the
potential
jobs,
Detroit
at Work
is
piloting
an
Entrepreneurship
Training
Academy
for
aspiring
entrepreneurs
to learn
more
about
what it
takes to
start,
operate,
and
maintain
a small
business,
whether
they are
interested
in
Amazon
or have
their
own
idea.
The
second
part of
the
Academy
focuses
on the
skills
and
principles
of
entrepreneurship
that are
needed
to
become
an
Amazon
DSP,
including:
-Budgeting
and
planning
for
long-term
sustainability
-Understanding
and
optimizing
your
business
model
-Integrating
high-quality
customer
service
into
your
business
Academy
Course
-Hiring
and
managing
staff
-Creative
problem-solving
and
design-thinking
“Detroit
at Work
is
excited
to
expand
our
training
to
include
micro-
and
small
business
readiness,”
said
Executive
Director
of
Workforce
Development
&
Detroit
At Work,
Nicole
Sherard-Freeman.
“The
Academy
has been
on our
radar
for a
while
because
so many
Detroiters
have the
drive
and
creativity
to be
small
business
owners
and have
asked
for our
help.
Amazon’s
presence
in
Detroit
will
help
Detroit’s
small
business
community
grow.
It’s
good
news for
all
aspiring
business-owners
to align
our
plans
with
Amazon’s.”
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