When the Mid was announced in early 2019, many were excited for the flashy renderings of two new high-rise buildings with condos, a hotel, and retail on a prominent site along Woodward. Over four years later, the development has not broken ground.
This month, lawmakers in Lansing have extended a 13-year tax credit for the development, which gives them three years to build at least seven of 15 stories of one of the buildings. According to the Detroit News,
"Without the extension, the Michigan Business Tax credit authorized in December 2010 and extended once in 2020 would expire on Sept. 14 and the group would have to stop taking credits and pay back the state an amount equal to the credits claimed so far."
The House passed the extension last week, while the Senate approved it this week. This means that if the developers complete the work on time, they'll still receive the $9 million in Brownfield tax credits from the state. The governor approved the bill yesterday.
Developers Mohammad Qazi and Emery Matthews first intended for a 25-story and 30-story tower on the 3.8 acre site. The development, once coming in at $377 million, went through the community benefits process in 2019. The project started scaling back in early 2020, nixing the condos, and developers have cited the pandemic in part as slowing down the financing and progress.
The site sits just north of Whole Foods at Woodward and Mack. It still has a wrap around the fence at the site that reads "Better Together."
