Next year, we could finally see meaningful work happening at the former jail site at Gratiot and 375. Bedrock announced plans today for a new 14-acre innovation district focused on technology and science, with tenants already in place.
Bedrock will team up with BAMF Health, Michigan Innovation Headquarters (MI-HQ), Ferris State University, Wayne State University, and TechTown on the project. The development will have a new 220,000-square-foot Life Science Innovation Building, which will be both a research and outpatient facility from BAMF Health.
In the new facility, BAMF will have 45,000 square feet for cancer detection and research. Ferris State will expand its offerings to Detroit and work with BAMF Health in the precision medicine field, as well as K-12 STEM opportunities. MI-HQ will have 150,000 square feet of lab space. Tech Town will foster start-ups while Wayne State will focus on providing career opportunities in life sciences.
“From the very beginning, we were determined to deliver BAMF’s advanced, life-saving technology to the people of Detroit and southeast Michigan, and soon that vision will come to life,” said BAMF Health Founder and CEO Anthony Chang, PhD. “The Gratiot Site allows us to honor the rich medical history of this campus and positions us as a vital platform for the entire state of Michigan and as a global destination for innovative care.”
A future phase of the project would add a large park to the site, likely linking future developments in the area.
“Dan Gilbert always envisioned the Gratiot Site as the gateway to downtown Detroit,” said Kofi Bonner, chief executive officer at Bedrock. “He understood that the site commanded a forward-thinking development, one that accommodated the community, fostered innovation and attracted talent. Our plans for the Gratiot Site campus would do just that, projecting Detroit into a new chapter of growth.”
Detroit has seen a few major innovation-based projects start in the past few years. Michigan Central in Corktown is now a tech hub. The University of Michigan Center for Innovation is under construction on the west side of downtown. And in New Center, Henry Ford Health and Michigan State University are building the Future of Health Campus.
The fail jail site has seen different plans come and go over the past decade, including a possible soccer stadium and the aforementioned UM Center for Innovation. Wayne County had started building a jail on the site, but never finished. In a land swap deal, Bedrock acquired the land from the county and built a new criminal justice center for the county a couple miles north off of I-75.
