DETROIT The future of the Renaissance Center is a Detroit decision, but it is not only a Detroit story. The redevelopment plan now headed toward Detroit City Council depends on nearly half a billion dollars in public support, largely from the state, and that is money every Michigan taxpayer, including those in Inkster, helps provide.

WDIV Local 4 laid out where things stand in a report published Tuesday. Here is a summary.

What's being proposed

Bedrock, the real estate firm founded by Dan Gilbert, wants to demolish Towers 300 and 400 of the riverfront complex and replace them with about 18 acres of publicly accessible civic space. The project is valued at $2.2 billion. Plans call for year-round use, including summer concerts, splash pads, winter ice skating, a movie theater and a water park.

Last week, Gilbert pledged about $1 billion to a nonprofit that would own and operate the new East Riverfront District. Bedrock CEO Jared Fleisher told Local 4 the structure means Gilbert would not profit, and that surplus proceeds would go to civic causes across Detroit.

The numbers Bedrock is promising

According to Fleisher, the plan includes:

  • $45 million in community benefits, including $15 million for affordable housing, $9 million for small businesses and $6 million for workforce development
  • 8,000 union jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs
  • A projected $300 million net fiscal benefit for Detroit

These are Bedrock's projections, not independent estimates.

Why the public money matters here

Fleisher said the project needs public support, largely from the state, because infrastructure and public spaces bring in little or no revenue. He said the city of Detroit itself would pay nothing.

That means the public share would come largely through Lansing, not Detroit City Hall. Inkster residents who want a say on how state dollars are spent can contact their state representative and state senator.

The questions being raised

The nonprofit is set up as a 501(c)(4), a type of organization that is legally allowed to lobby. Fleisher said its bylaws will prohibit spending on lobbying or politics, and that it does not qualify as a 501(c)(3).

The Save the RenCen Coalition opposes tearing down any towers and argues they could be reused for housing, retail or offices. Developers and city officials say keeping the towers is not financially viable. Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield called the deal the best the city is likely to get and pointed to buildings like Michigan Central that sat empty for decades.

What happens next

A Neighborhood Advisory Council holds its final meeting Tuesday night, Oct. 27, and will then vote on a recommendation. Detroit City Council is expected to take up the proposal before its Thanksgiving recess.

Inkster Now! will follow the state funding piece as it moves forward.

Source: WDIV Local 4 / ClickOnDetroit, reporting by Shawnte Passmore, Oct. 27, 2026. Read the full story there.