The new jail complex at East Ferry and I-75 has been under construction by Bedrock for years, originally set to open in 2022. Rising costs and Covid delayed the finished product. But Bedrock has officially handed the keys over to Wayne County, which now has six months to move in.
The facility holds the a courthouse, a juvenile detention facility, the county's 2,280-bed jail, and staff and administrative offices.
The Detroit Free Press reports that the county received the keys on March 18, and has until mid-September to move everything from the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice and adult and juvenile jails to the new complex. This frees up that land, often called the fail jail site, for Bedrock, who's had their eyes on it for many years.
The site sits at Gratiot and I-375. No plans have been finalized. Over the years, there's been plans for a Major League Soccer field and a large multi-building mixed-use development. The most recent iteration in 2021 held the Centre for Urban Transformation Headquarters, but we've heard no news since then.
Construction is set to start on a complete overhaul of 375, turning it into a boulevard instead of a freeway, which would free up land for development on either side.
