Bedrock executives had many yeas but also some nays in its initial response to a large request for Community Benefits for the $2.2 billion Renaissance Center redevelopment project.
Bedrock, which is partners with General Motors on the proposed development, offered its response to the project's nine-member Neighborhood Advisory Council during a Tuesday evening, Oct. 13, public meeting in City Hall.
"There's alignment on many of these items," Jake Chidester, vice president of strategic initiatives for Bedrock, said.
The council, known as the NAC, last week presented the developers with a list of about 100 requests for commitments, concessions and benefits. The Community Benefits process is required in Detroit for large-scale developments that seek
tax breaks and other public subsidies.
For the RenCen redevelopment, Bedrock and GM are seeking tax breaks and incentives worth an estimated $548 million over three decades.
Of the nearly 100 requests, Bedrock says it is on board with 53, "aligned on principle" with 30, not on board with 12 (but is open to a "different approach" on the items) and would defer six other requests to the city.
Bedrock is on board with the NAC's vision for it to build an indoor and year-round community space in the development.
The development firm also wants to keep the RiverWalk accessible throughout the project's yearslong construction like the NAC does.
And based on the NAC's request for deeper affordability for the project's 205 "affordable" residential units, Bedrock is ready to set aside more units for people who earn no more than 60% of the area median income.
Bedrock did not agree to a few of the NAC's bigger items.
The NAC asked that Detroit residents be given free parking at the redeveloped RenCen for the first three hours. But Bedrock was only willing to give Detroiters a 30% discount off the market rate for parking.
Chidester said there were concerns that people might try to abuse the free parking by using RenCen lots on event days in downtown, such as Lions games, where some downtown parking can go for $90.
"And it defeats the purpose of trying to provide better parking access to Detroiters who want to use the waterfront," he said.
Bedrock also wasn't on board with the NAC's proposed $5 million gentrification "displacement fund" to cover rent increases for residents in and near the development site.
"Our concern is that providing a fund to pay higher rents will simply lead landlords to raise their rents," the development firm's written response says.
Bedrock also wasn't on board with the NAC's requests for a $5 million down-payment and home ownership program, a $5 million home repair fund for area residents, a $5 million housing trust fund or a $7.5 million anti-displacement fund.
Instead of those programs and funds, Bedrock said it is prepared to make at least a $10 million commitment for various investments in neighborhoods throughout Detroit, and in alignment with Mayor Mary Sheffield's neighborhood strategy.
Some NAC members, including Teron Haynes Jr., were also disappointed that Bedrock doesn't want to contribute $1 million for an "Impacted Business Relief Fund" for businesses near the redevelopment site.
Instead of such a fund, Bedrock suggested that it could make a $1 million per year commitment for five years to the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, whose operations would be directly impacted by the construction.
"The priority (in Bedrock's response) is giving money to the Riverfront Conservancy, which we did not ask for, instead of the Black-owned businesses," Haynes said.
“It’s our position that the entity that’s going to be most impacted by construction impact will be the Riverfront itself,” Chidester replied.
NAC Chair Jamaine Dickens said the next step in the Community Benefits process will be further negotiations between Bedrock and NAC members, along with input from the mayor's office.
Bedrock and GM's RenCen redevelopment plan calls for demolishing two of the five original Renaissance Center towers, turning the remaining towers into a mix of housing, hotel rooms and modern office space, while building out the riverfront east of the RenCen as an amenity-filled riverfront attraction.
Contact JC Reindl: 313-378-5460 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on X @jcreindl
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What Bedrock said 'yes' and 'no' to of proposed RenCen community asks
