Will the City of Detroit be fixing up or restoring buildings at Historic Fort Wayne?

The City of Detroit may stabilize selected buildings as funding becomes available; however, rehabilitation must be done at the lessee’s own expense prior to occupancy.

Will lessees be required to pay rent?

Fair Market Value rent will be determined by the City of Detroit on a building-by-building basis. However, the lessee will be able to perform necessary rehabilitation work in lieu of paying rent in most cases.

What are lease terms?

The City of Detroit may, at its option, negotiate and execute a long term lease, ground lease, or license agreement with selected respondent or respondents. Lease terms will be of a long enough duration to allow the lessee to recover its initial investment in the rehabilitation of the selected building or buildings.

Will existing uses at Historic Fort Wayne be discontinued?

The General Services Department does not intend to discontinue uses that already exist on the Historic Fort Wayne property. Proposals for any occupied building are strongly encouraged to include a strategy for accommodating the continuation of any existing uses.

Will Historic Fort Wayne remain a public park?

Yes. Outdoor spaces, as well as the star fort and many other historic structures, will be continue to be managed by the City of Detroit Parks and Recreation Division, with volunteer support, for recreation and historical interpretation. This purpose of this RFI process is to identify occupants for buildings that are currently vacant.