Detroit Building Authority outlines property-sales process, council approves demolition-notification step and executive-session on priority access

The Detroit Building Authority reviewed its role in marketing and selling city-owned commercial property, described an updated public real-estate website and application process, and answered council questions about projects and its budget. Council members voted to add a demolition-notification step to closing resolutions and agreed to an executive session to consider a program giving priority access to Detroit residents and minority-owned businesses.

The presentation, given by Tyrone Clifford, director of the Detroit Building Authority, and staff, said the authority was created Oct. 30, 1973, under Act No. 31 of the Public Acts of Michigan and is authorized to acquire, equip, own, improve, operate and maintain city facilities. Clifford told the council the DBA assists city departments with capital programs funded by the city general fund, grants or federal dollars after City Council approval.

The DBA demonstrated the city’s commercial real-estate webpage and an online application that lets users search a map of publicly owned properties, filter marketed parcels and view broker listings. Jill Bridal, real estate project manager for the Detroit Building Authority, said the DBA has contracted with Summit Commercial to provide brokerage services and that marketed properties’ flyers list contact brokers and pricing.

Clifford and Bridal also described active capital projects the DBA is managing or supporting: the DDOT Coolidge bus terminal, renovations to the central services parking lot for Detroit Water and Sewage, the Water Board main office penthouse and façade repairs, AB Ford Park renovations, work at the KMAC facility (including the room currently used for council meetings and planned electric vehicle chargers in the executive parking lot), Skillman branch renovations for the Detroit Public Library, repairs at the Ford underground parking garage, and the municipal multi-space parking-meter program. Clifford said the DBA provides commercial real-estate services through the Housing and Revitalization Department when departments request them.

Council members asked operational and policy questions. Responding to a question about a roughly $180,000 budget increase year over year, Clifford said the change was “just salaries and fringes.” When a council member raised a case in which a commercial buyer later learned a building was in a demolition queue, Bridal said the DBA “does work with the demolition department, and we let them know the properties that we have in the queue to sell,” and that demolition and DBA staff also inform each other about properties under consideration. Bridal said staff will create an intermediate step to check demolition status once a purchase agreement exists.

Council members approved a motion to add language to closing resolutions to require or strongly encourage that DBA staff check with the demolition department after a purchase agreement is in place; the motion was made on the floor and approved with no objections. The council also approved a motion, made by Member Durrahal, to take the question of creating a program that would give priority access to Detroit residents and minority-owned businesses into executive session for further discussion; the motion passed with no objections.

During the presentation, Bridal said the DBA is updating the purchase application and working with the Housing and Revitalization Department to improve the website’s usability. She told the council the application portal is shared with Detroit Land Bank partners and that both the Land Bank and DBA partners review submissions. Bridal said about 60% of applicants on sales in 2024 listed a Detroit address on their application.

On reuse of commercial properties for housing, Clifford said the DBA typically does not lead housing projects but can estimate capital needs for redevelopment. He provided an order-of-magnitude cost estimate of about $400 to $500 per square foot depending on building condition for substantial rehabilitation or conversion work.

The DBA presentation closed with council members thanking staff and indicating they would submit additional written questions. The council recessed to proceed to a municipal parking public hearing and scheduled follow-up work stemming from the two approved items: adding demolition-notification language in closing documents and further discussion in executive session about priority access for residents and minority-owned businesses.