[Docta_Love]

An important piece of the Aerotropolis area seems that it will be re-purposed.

Sale of Willow Run site for American Center for Mobility could close next summer
Developers seek funding for mobility test hub

By LINDSAY VANHULLE
July 24, 2016
Crain's Detroit Business


A conceptual rendering shows the planned American Center for Mobility at Willow Run, a former World War II bomber factory that sits mostly vacant today, awaiting development.


The sale of more than 300 acres at a former World War II bomber factory in Washtenaw County for use as a testing hub for connected and driverless cars could close by next summer, said those involved with the purchase.

Yet even as developers of the planned American Center for Mobility at Willow Run in Ypsilanti Township move ahead with buying property, significant hurdles remain to clear — namely, funding — before the estimated $80 million facility can open.

News last week that the center's property acquisition entity, Willow Run Arsenal of Democracy Landholdings LLP, has agreed to pay $1.2 million for the 311-acre Willow Run site is a milestone for supporters of the mobility project, which has an expected opening date of 2018.

Beyond standard due diligence, including inspections and approvals, the specific conditions required for closing are unknown: The Michigan Economic Development Corp., which has an ownership stake in the project and is helping to negotiate the transaction, would not release the purchase agreement publicly nor share the terms, citing confidentiality agreements.

The American Center for Mobility project is pegged to need about $60 million from the federal government. CEO John Maddox would not comment last week on the status of fundraising, saying: "A lot (is) up in the air."

He has said, however, that his team is targeting the U.S. transportation, energy and commerce departments for funding. That likely could include multiple requests in the form of grants or budget allocations, either from the executive branch or Congress, Maddox told Crain's at the Detroit Regional Chamber Mackinac Policy Conference in June.

The MEDC has committed $3 million to the Arsenal of Democracy landholding entity for the property purchase and startup costs. Maddox's team is seeking an additional $17 million from the agency's Michigan Strategic Fund, though a spokeswoman did not know when the project will come back before the board.

An MEDC staff memo from March said developers planned to return with the remaining funding request should the property purchase happen "as anticipated." That request also would require an operational budget and a site plan for development, the agency wrote, along with a recommended payback schedule for the state investment.

The MEDC said then that state funding would be used "as leverage to finalize federal investment."

The MEDC and Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response Trust, or RACER Trust — the trust handling cleanup and redevelopment of former General Motors Corp. plants in Michigan after the automaker's 2009 bankruptcy — said the deal could close in the third quarter of 2017, though it could be sooner depending on how quickly developers can lock up necessary approvals and financing. RACER Trust has owned the Willow Run property since 2011.

Assuming that happens as planned, developers could be ready to request construction bids as soon as the deed is in hand, Maddox said.

....

"We are ecstatic about this development because the American Center for Mobility will give Michigan a cutting edge in this new technology," Rasher said. "It's important not just for the township of Ypsilanti and Wayne and Washtenaw counties, but all of Southeastern Michigan, because the world's largest concentration of automotive R&D and engineering resides here."

In the meantime, developers say they can move forward with designing the site now that they have a formal purchase agreement with the state and RACER Trust. They have hired a Detroit-based civil engineering consulting firm with mobility chops: The Mannik & Smith Group Inc. also helped design the 32-acre Mcity test bed at the University of Michigan.

The American Center for Mobility as proposed will include a 2.5-mile highway loop for developers of connected and autonomous vehicles to test their cars at freeway speeds; a grid simulating urban streets, with intersections, buildings and pedestrian crossings; and buildings where the site's operations will be based, Maddox said.

Ideally, he added, the center also could provide a place for automotive experts to focus on drafting voluntary standards for the industry — separate from the rules expected to come from federal regulators — and test their ideas on-site.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ty-could-close

Converted Corktown Firehouse Cuts Price, Invests in Better Pictures
Seriously historic property

BY ROBIN RUNYAN
JUL 19, 2016
Curbed Detroit



About a year and a half ago, we featured Engine Company #8 in Corktown, which had been converted into office space and listed for nearly $2 million. Our readers had a lot to say about the dreary pictures that accompanied the listing. After sitting on the market for a while, the listing has been cut down to $994,995 and has much, much better, brighter pictures.

To refresh our memory, this building has recently been renovated and restored with loads of subway tile, big bay doors, and fire poles. Yes, fire poles. There are kitchen facilities, a sauna (!), and gated parking. There’s potential for a great rooftop patio as well, and looks to be renovation opportunities in the attic space. It served as a firehouse from 1918 to 1982, when it was converted into law offices. It also holds a piece of Motown history, as Motown lawyer Gregory Reed had offices here. Oh, and so did Rosa Parks. Historic? Yes. Unique? For sure. Here’s a new look at it. (And if anyone knows who did these pictures, let us know!






http://detroit.curbed.com/2016/7/19/...price-for-sale