Committee advances Old St. Jean industrial rehabilitation district for 521 Old St. Jean

A Detroit City Council committee advanced a request to establish a plant rehabilitation (industrial development) district for 521 Old St. Jean, sending the item to the formal session with a recommendation to approve after a public hearing and presentation by the developer and city staff.

The proposal, presented by Old St. Jean Properties LLC, covers the rehabilitation of a vacant manufacturing facility at 521 Old St. Jean into about 38,820 square feet of manufacturing, office and storage space. The development team said the $2.4 million project would house the developer’s headquarters and lease space to Ecolvia Renewables, a biotechnology company relocating from Ann Arbor. The developer and city staff described the item as a request to establish a district only; a separate application for an Industrial Facilities Exemption certificate would be required before any tax reduction could be approved.

Why it matters: the industrial facilities/plant rehabilitation district is the local step that allows future owners to apply for a tax exemption certificate under Michigan law; if a certificate is later approved, it…