After years of sitting vacant, there are new plans for the site of the former failed Wayne County jail project in downtown Detroit. 

Dan Gilbert’s real estate firm Bedrock announced this week it will build a 220,000-square-foot Life Science Innovation Building along Gratiot and I-375, serving as a research and outpatient facility for Grand Rapids-based cancer treatment center BAMF Health. 

Construction on the site is set to begin next year. 

The building will be part of a 14-acre innovation district that would focus on innovation in life sciences, technology and entrepreneurship, according to a news release. Bedrock’s goal for the district is for it to become a premier hub for advancing precision technology, personalized medicine and bio-tech, while offering comprehensive education and talent development opportunities. 

“Having access to top educational institutions, a diverse talent pool and fostering cross-industry collaboration in close proximity to major markets has made this visionary project possible,” Kofi Bonner, chief executive officer at Bedrock, said in the news release. “Bedrock’s plan for this transformative district will not only bring renowned expertise to Detroit, but expand the city’s knowledge economy and benefit the community for generations to come.”

BAMF will occupy 45,000 square feet of the Innovation Building, consisting of  radiopharmacy, molecular imaging and molecular therapy clinics to detect and treat cancer and other diseases. 

“From the very beginning, we were determined to deliver BAMF’s advanced, life-saving technology to the people of Detroit and southeast Michigan, and soon, that vision will come to life,” added BAMF Health Founder and CEO Anthony Chang. “The Gratiot site allows us to honor the rich medical history of this campus and positions us as a vital platform for the entire state of Michigan and as a global destination for innovative care.”

Other planned occupants include Ferris State University, which will partner with BAMF to provide training in precision medicine, a medical model that looks at a person’s genes, environment and lifestyle to prevent, diagnose, or treat disease. The college will also expand its K-12 STEM opportunities.

Ann Arbor-based Michigan Innovation Headquarters will serve as a development and financial partner on the project and operate around 150,000 square feet of lab space, including a full suite of business support services and advanced equipment to help scale life science and technology startups. 

Wayne State University, along with its entrepreneurship hub TechTown Detroit, will develop programs to attract, incubate, retain and scale startups in the city. The college will also search for partnership opportunities through its research enterprise and College to Career initiatives. 

In 2011, ground broke on the proposed jail under the leadership of then-Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano. However, construction halted in 2013 as estimates showed cost overruns pushing the project $91 million over its $300-million budget.

Bedrock and Wayne County entered into a land-swap deal in 2018 that involved providing Gilbert’s organization a site along Gratiot in exchange for building the new Wayne County Criminal Justice Center, which opened earlier this year. 

Over the past 11 years since the jail project stalled, Bedrock has proposed other projects for the site, including a Major League Soccer stadium and the University of Michigan Center for Innovation, which is now under construction at Grand River Avenue and W. Columbia Street and expected to open in 2027.