Detroit, MI
Community Benefits proposal for $3B development touted as biggest ever in Detroit
![Community Benefits proposal for $3B development touted as biggest ever in Detroit](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2023/10/25/PDTF/71309128007-real-henry-ford-1.jpg?auto=webp&crop=1160,652,x66,y0&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Henry Ford Health, the Detroit Pistons organization and Michigan State University unveiled a Community Benefits package Tuesday for their planned $3 billion collaborative development in Detroit’s New Center that they touted as the biggest to ever be proposed.
The benefits package would contain about $100 million in new, direct financial contributions to the community and just over $600 million in overall value and specially targeted spending out of the project’s budget, according to the development partners.
Such packages are the final product of a mandated Community Benefits process in Detroit for large development projects that seek significant tax abatements and public subsidies.
The biggest such package to date was that approved earlier this year for the $1.5 billion District Detroit development. It called for about $12 million in new direct financial contributions and just over $100 million in specially targeted spending.
“This would be the largest Community Benefits package that’s ever been delivered in the history of the ordinance, in the history of this process, in the history of Detroit,” Richard Haddad, chief operating officer for the Pistons, said Tuesday night at the development’s Community Benefits Ordinance meeting inside University Preparatory Academy.
The proposed package is still subject to a vote by a volunteer group of area residents known as the Neighborhood Advisory Council or NAC, and eventually would need final approval by Detroit City Council.
The package is said to include 82 of the 155 requests that the nine-member NAC made to the three organizations last month. The cost to fulfill all 155 requests would be about $2.5 billion, Haddad said.
“We put a lot of work into responding to that ask, and to delivering as much as we possibly could,” Haddad said. “Where that got us is to a place where we’re proposing to deliver a benefits package that is multiples more than any other benefits package.”
NAC Chair Lynda Jeffries said she and fellow members will now begin negotiating for the final benefits package. A vote could potentially happen as soon as the next Community Benefits Ordinance meeting Dec. 12.
Several residents who spoke at Tuesday night’s meeting faulted the proposed package for not including enough NAC requests, including too many items that NAC or the community didn’t ask for, or allegedly counting as benefits things the three organizations would do anyway in the normal course of business.
“It’s a bunch of stuff that nobody asked for, no one really cares about,” area resident Nate Phillips said. “The stuff that people actually do really care about is just kind of conveniently thrown to the side.”
The planned $3 billion development includes a Henry Ford Hospital expansion with a 21-story tower, 662 units of new mixed-income rental housing and a new joint Henry Ford Health/MSU research building.
The three organizations are seeking $273 million in tax breaks and other incentives to help construct the housing and research building portions.
Henry Ford Health isn’t seeking tax breaks or incentives for the $2.2 billion hospital expansion, and that expansion isn’t contingent on the other portions of the planned development happening, hospital officials have said.
The new housing would be developed by a Pistons-related entity and ultimately owned by the Pistons organization. A full 20% of the 662 apartments would be set aside at reduced rents for those with below-median incomes.
Some items in the proposed Community Benefits package include:
- Providing 5 acres of green space near the hospital, a $30 million estimated cost.
- Targeting $100 million of spending in the development toward disadvantaged and Detroit-based businesses.
- Setting aside 20% of the 662 apartments as “affordable:” 13 units for those making no more than 30% area median income or $19,890 a year for a single person; 107 units at 50% area median income or $33,150; 13 units at 70% area median income or $46,410.
- Accepting Section 8 housing vouchers for the affordable units.
- Giving 50 free tuition MSU scholarships for the length of enrollment to seniors at University Preparatory Academy and Northwestern High School.
- Giving $15 million over five years to the Ruth Ellis Center to help house at-risk LGBTQ+ young people.
- Prioritizing Detroit residents for jobs.
- Devising a plan for potentially redeveloping the old Fairbanks Elementary School building.
- Developing a plan to promote local businesses near the development.
Contact JC Reindl: 313-222-6631 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on X @jcreindl.
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Detroit, MI
Lions List of ‘Blue-Chip’ Players Is Astounding
![Lions List of ‘Blue-Chip’ Players Is Astounding](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2360,h_1327,x_0,y_70/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_lions/01j1yyz2cqa2xtkb03a1.jpg)
The Detroit Lions have stacked their roster with several talented, gritty young NFL players who fit the culture head coach Dan Campbell and the front office is seeking to fill the locker room with.
In a recent ESPN ranking of each NFL teams’ under-25 talent, the Lions came in No. 2, only behind the Houston Texans.
Brad Holmes’ roster was the only NFL team listed that included five “blue-chip” players under the age of 25, including Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Penei Sewell, and Aidan Hutchinson.
“As you can tell by their placement on this list, the Lions aced the top of the past few drafts. We can certainly have some interesting arguments about positional value with the picks that Detroit made, but it’s hard to argue with the results,” writes Aaron Schatz. “Sewell was a first-team All-Pro last season and is 23 years old. LaPorta is also 23 and set an NFL record for catches by a rookie tight end (86). Gibbs and Brian Branch are just 22, while first-round rookie Terrion Arnold is likely to be an NFL starter at 21.”
Last week at the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, Hutchinson expressed he feels this is the season the team puts it all together and wins a Lombardi Trophy.
“I feel with every fiber of my body, I feel like it’s the year,” Hutchinson told Brad Galli of WXYZ. Honestly, from this year on, every year is the year. With the guys that we have, I hope that we’re going to sustain the success for a long time.”
Detroit is also counting on other talented players to take strides forward in 2024, including Jameson Williams, Brian Branch, Jack Campbell and Arnold.
Additional reading
1.) ‘It’s All Football’: Aidan Hutchinson Discusses Offseason Goals, Plans
2.) Lions Should Be Featured In Offseason ‘Hard Knocks’
3.) Predicting Lions’ Offensive Breakout Players
4.) Lions ‘Not Interested’ in Signing Wideouts Prior to Training Camp
Detroit, MI
Butterfly Collective fundraiser supports abuse victims in Metro Detroit
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Detroit, MI
Former Detroit Pistons Coach Makes Critical Decision on Lakers Job
![Former Detroit Pistons Coach Makes Critical Decision on Lakers Job](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4273,h_2403,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_pistons/01j1wz1t7c8057pakf3h.jpg)
The Detroit Pistons might’ve made a lot of changes lately, but they aren’t alone. With a handful of teams parting ways with their head coaches from the start of the 2023-2024 NBA season, a lot of staffs have seen changes as a result.
Recently, it’s been reported that the Los Angeles Lakers’ new head coach JJ Redick was targeting a member of the Pistons’ front office. Dwane Casey, a former coach, was a candidate for Redick.
It took some time for Casey to decide what he wanted to do, but it seems he’ll stick around in Detroit. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Casey has “withdrawn” his name for consideration in LA.
It took time, and the period without a decision meant Casey actually considered heading out West to get back into the coaching cycle. Per the report, Casey didn’t want to uproot his family, leaving him in Michigan with the Pistons.
The last time Casey coached, the Pistons finished with a 17-65 record. It was clear Casey was headed towards the free agency market, but he decided to step down and took on an opportunity to move to the Pistons’ front office instead.
When Casey’s time with Detroit concluded, he wrapped a five-year tenure. In 384 games, the Pistons went 121-263. They made the playoffs on just one occasion, as Casey oversaw most of the Pistons’ rebuild. When he left, he was replaced by Monty Williams.
Being that the Lakers is Redick’s first professional coaching job, he could use all of the veteran experience alongside him he can get. Since Casey has coached in the NCAA for ten years, and has been around the NBA since 1994, he has more than enough experience to hold a job as an assistant. The last time he coached as an assistant, Casey was a member of the Dallas Mavericks’ organization in 2011.
It’s unclear if coaching in the future is an option or not for Casey, but it’s apparent the Lakers won’t land his services. For now, Casey will stick around in the Pistons’ front office, as they navigate through a new era under President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon.
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