Welcome back. I’m still Malachi Barrett.

Members of a veterans group that has long sought to acquire a deteriorating riverfront naval armory believe they are closer to grasping a chance to bring the historic site into good use.

The Parade Co. was granted a one-year extension to a sales agreement with the city of Detroit, dragging out a 2021 development deal for a third time. Council members warned they would be unlikely to push deadlines back again.

The Parade Co. planned to renovate the long-vacant building into a new headquarters, build an outdoor promenade and a new complex for youth summer camps and veterans events.

A looming June 30 closing deadline has the Brodhead Association optimistic that the Parade Co. will cede control of the site to them.

Brodhead Association President Chip Rohde said he’s reaching out to council members and advocating for moving ahead with their plan for the site, which includes restoring the building and artwork and creating a veterans resource center with job placement programs.

The Parade Co., which puts on Detroit’s annual Independence Day fireworks show and Thanksgiving Day Parade, entered a development agreement in 2021 to buy the site for $300,000. The agreement is contingent on whether the company can raise $45 million to redevelop the site.

Parade Co. President and CEO Tony Michaels told the council last year that $14.5 million had been raised but that the Parade Co. could clear the goal if given another year.

Michaels described the building as “destroyed,” but argued the historic structure and artistic elements inside can be salvaged. The latest agreement requires construction to start by Oct. 1. 

Council President Mary Sheffield, whose district includes the Brodhead Armory, was reluctant to vote in favor of extending the deal last year. She said the city had been very patient and “will not approve any more extensions moving forward.”

“My main issue is the city, in some situations, is picking and choosing what projects we want to give this leniency and the ability to extend, and it’s not quite fair,” Sheffield said last June.

Completed in 1930, the Brodhead Armory was designed in a restrained Art Deco style by one of Detroit’s preeminent architects at the time, William Buck Stratton. The city provided the land and a portion of the funding.

Development proposals posted publicly online show extensive work is needed to restore the riverfront building. Water damage is extensive due to holes in the roof. Many historic elements, including the majority of the ornamental woodwork and door frames, were stolen by unknown trespassers.

The Parade Co.’s plans include rehabilitating the north block, restoring steel sash windows, salvaging interior art pieces and limestone panels, replacing the south half of the building with a new two-story structure and constructing an outdoor riverfront plaza that will be open to the public and connect to the eastern RiverWalk.

The armory served as a center for training as well as a site for civic and sporting events.

It hosted dance marathons, social mixers, labor meetings and political rallies. A special ramp was built to accommodate the wheelchair of Franklin D. Roosevelt during his first campaign for president.

The armory was also the site of Joe Louis’ first career fight in 1932.

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What page are we on? 

Today’s notebook covers the March 18 formal session.

Dig into the agenda, read Detroit Documenter notes or watch the recording for more details.

Did a friend forward you this? Sign up for BridgeDetroit’s free newsletters to catch the next one.

Mayor Mike Duggan will hold his final “State of the City” speech on Tuesday, March 25 at Dan Gilbert’s new downtown project Hudson’s Detroit.

Stay on the lookout for the second episode of Detroit Next, a new show exploring 2025 elections through conversations with myself and Stephen Henderson.

We’re interviewing Mayor Mike Duggan and one of the folks running to replace him – Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr.

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Extra funding needed for trash contracts 

The City Council approved a plan to spend $46.5 million in surplus funding.

A vote to authorize the spending was postponed twice before being passed unanimously without discussion on Tuesday. Council members had delayed the vote after being informed of a $14 million shortfall in the solid waste fund that left a gap in funding for enhanced garbage services approved last year.

Sheffield previously raised concerns about the lack of funding for housing initiatives but ultimately approved the appropriation. The spending plan includes: 

• $14 million for the enhanced trash hauling contracts and service expansion
• $8 million for General Services Department to cover inflationary pressures for fuel, parts and services
• $6 million for the emergency flood response in Southwest Detroit
• $7 million for board up and clean out of various sites throughout the city
• $4.4 million for facility improvements including the $3.4 million for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
• $3.1 million for Electrical Vehicle charging stations throughout the city on major
• corridors
• $3 million for media campaigns advertising city programs 
• $875,000 for the city’s ShotStoppers community violence intervention program 

The resolution also allows the Chief Financial Officer to transfer unspent pandemic relief funds to other projects created by the American Rescue Plan Act.

The City Council raised annual waste fees from $240 to $270 over three years to provide weekly collection of bulk and yard waste, recycling and construction debris.

Council members voiced concerns about the gap in solid waste fee revenue after being reassured by Duggan’s administration last year that the expanded contracts would be covered by increasing the fee.

Sheffield said the $14 million revenue drop was “a bit of a shock to see” while Council Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway said it vindicated her objection to the trash hauling contract.

Deputy Budget Director Tonya Stoudamire said the shortfall is partly because more people took advantage of a half-off discount to homeowners who are seniors or claim a low-income property tax break.

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Anti-speculation laws wanted

The City Council is asking state lawmakers to discourage property speculation through taxes, legal reforms or new tools to put property in the hands of residents.

Whitfield-Calloway introduced a resolution urging the Michigan Legislature to pass “anti-speculator legislation.” It defines real estate speculation as the practice of holding cheap property in the hopes of the value increasing to make a high return on the investment. The resolution was passed unanimously.

“The real estate speculator often puts little or no investment into the property which often results in further deterioration of the property, creating blight and often unsightly and dangerous conditions for the community,” the resolution states.

It also cites reporting from Outlier Media that has tracked speculators, explored how they’ve exploited government processes and examined the effects on neighborhoods and residents who are fighting back.

A copy of the resolution will be sent to Duggan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks.

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Rivertown seeks business improvement zone

The City Council will consider creating a riverfront business improvement zone that would provide services, clean up public spaces and support businesses using a fee charged to commercial property owners.

A public hearing will be set to collect feedback on a plan supported by property owners who signed petitions, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Jefferson East, Inc. and Rivertown Detroit Association. Residential, nonprofit and government-owned properties wouldn’t be charged an assessment fee.

Rohde, who leads the Rivertown Detroit Association, said it’s taken several years of careful planning and engagement to get the majority of property owners on board. The boundary would largely cover properties south of Larned Street between Rivard and Baldwin streets.

Rohde said the success of a downtown business improvement zone (BIZ) is inspiring. He envisions a Rivertown BIZ would make the area clean, safe and more welcoming for guests, but those decisions will be made collectively by the community. It’s also expected to increase property values.

“What’s key here is when the BIZ is put in place, the property owners will make up a board that will decide where to best focus the funding,” Rohde said. “It’s not like things are locked and concrete.”

Jefferson East Inc. funds a clean ambassador program that removes garbage and snow from sidewalks and maintains public trash cans. Rodhe said the BIZ would allow business owners to create a more sustainable fund for those efforts.

Rodhe said Jefferson Avenue was “a dirty street” until the ambassador program was started. He said a small group of donors are voluntarily funding services benefiting the entire district, but it’s more responsible to address needs in the district through a public body with its own board and funding mechanism.

“The goal is a friendly environment and encouraging destination where people can come down, buy a sandwich, walk down to the river and watch the boats go by knowing you’re going to be safe,” he said. 

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Master plan enters phase II 

Detroit is starting the second of three phases to update its master plan for the next 20 years of development.

The master plan is focused on land use policies and informed by conversations with residents. It’s a citywide, long-range roadmap for future development that hasn’t been updated since 2009. Planning Director Alexa Bush said the city has changed dramatically since then.

The first phase focused on gathering broad feedback from residents about their vision for land uses. Common themes emerged; residents view housing and neighborhoods, economic opportunity and mobility as important planning topics, and desire a city that is inclusive, sustainable, safe and clean.

The second phase will feature more detailed conversations to draft policy recommendations. Policy workshops are being scheduled in April for residents to “get into the weeds” with city planners, said City Planner Julie Connochie.

“A common criticism we get is that we come out to the community too late, once we’ve already started to form some ideas,” Connochie told the council. “We’re going to be involving the public very early on in this discussion starting next month.”

Registration will open next week for people who want to attend these April meetings:

• Neighborhoods & Housing: 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 12
• Open Space & Environment: 1:3 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 12
• Arts & Culture: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 14
• Mobility: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15
• Jobs & Economy: 5:30 to 7:30 pm. On Wednesday, April 16

A youth summit is also being planned for high school students, though a date has not been set.

I recently talked with Connochie and Bush in more detail about what the first phase of conversations revealed and what’s coming next. Stay tuned for more soon.

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Chicken and duck license fees proposed 

The City Council is considering a $40 fee for residents who want to keep chickens and ducks.

Animal husbandry regulations passed by the council last year allow residents to keep bees, chickens and ducks on their property.

The Detroit Animal Care and Control Division recommended the licensing fee to ensure proper oversight of the new rules. There will be no fee for beekeepers.

Residents can keep up to eight chickens and ducks per license.

Applicants must also provide proof of ownership for their property, a certificate of health for animals, facilities and waste management plans and information on the breed and sex of each fowl.

The license fee was referred to the Budget Finance and Audit Committee for additional discussion.

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Trailblazing Detroit prosecutor honored 

Former U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison was heaped with awards by Whitfield-Calloway in recognition of Ison’s historic and boundary-breaking career.

Ison resigned in January after serving three years as the first Black woman to lead the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Eastern District of Michigan. She was appointed by former President Joe Biden in 2021.

Whitfield-Calloway said it was the most gratifying Spirit of Detroit Award she’s given during her first term on the council. She called Ison a trailblazer whose career reflects a strong commitment to justice and empathy for those affected by crime.

The council member also gave Ison a “Crystal Calloway” award and an honor from Spelman College. She also hopes to declare March 18 as “Dawn Ison Day.” 

“To receive this award is an honor beyond measure for me,” Ison said “I was unapologetic about the effort I was going to put into Detroit.

“Awards are testament to the work but also the pride I feel as a daughter of Detroit who embodies the same resilience, grit and spirit of Detroit and tried to use the responsibility she had and the power she had to protect and serve the citizens.”