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Wayne County Jail site
The unfinished Wayne County Jail on Gratiot in downtown Detroit sits as a symbol of mystery.
In June 2013, the county announced it was halting construction of the $300 million facility midway because of cost overruns. This past April, Dan Gilbert and Pistons owner Tom Gores announced they wanted to buy the property to build a soccer complex. After that, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans insisted he still planned to build the county jail on the site.
On Wednesday, the county issued a press release saying that "Wayne County accomplished another key step toward completing the unfinished jail at Gratiot." The county cited a report which said the prior construction at the site is structurally sound and suitable for restarting construction next year.
“The report is clear – the jail site is structurally sound," Evans said in a statement. "Construction can restart next year. We are doing our due diligence to make the best possible decision for Wayne County and move this project forward. These results strengthen the case for completing the jail and will be included in the information we provide prospective bidders on the project.”
Ah, but not so fast. Gilbert tells The Detroit News “there’s ongoing negotiations and talks. We are hopeful still. It’s complex.”
Hmm. So is the county announcement posturing by making the announcement, hoping to get Gilbert to dish out more money for the site? Of is the county really moving forward?
In the next few months, we'll find out.
