District 4 Real Estate Developers Summit

David Howell
Vice President of Development Services
Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DECG)
O 313.237.6089
E dhowell@degc.org 

Kaci Jackson
Senior Real Estate Manager
Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DECG)
O 313.237.6089
E kjackson@degc.org 

Cora Capler
Senior Brownfield Program Manager
Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DECG)
O 313.294.5827
E ccapler@degc.org

Helpful Links:

Tax Abatements
What is a Tax Abatement? - A tax abatement is designed to incentivize investment by reducing tax payments for a company. Tax abatements can attract investment, increase employment, catalyze research and technology development, and drive improvement to less developed areas. Tax abatements can raise the overall economy by stimulating economic growth and tax revenue (after the expiration of the tax holiday/incentive period). Unlike grants or loans, which can help with need for immediate capital, a tax abatement is a way of offsetting or abating property and other taxes as an incentive to come to a city or expand existing operations within the city. Tax abatements allow business owners to use that savings to invest back into the business for a defined period of time. 

Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (DBRA) 
What Does DBRA Do? - The City of Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (DBRA) was established to promote the revitalization of environmentally distressed and blighted areas within the boundaries of the City of Detroit. 

The City of Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (the “DBRA”) was established pursuant to Michigan Public Act 381 of 1996 (“Act 381”), as amended, to promote the revitalization of environmentally distressed and blighted areas within the boundaries of the City of Detroit. Under Act 381, substantial redevelopment throughout Detroit has been supported by Brownfield incentives. Since the program’s inception, the DBRA has facilitated the approval of over 250 plans for Brownfield redevelopment including residential, mixed-use, retail, industrial, office and commercial uses. 

Developers of properties that qualify as contaminated, blighted, or functionally obsolete and are part of an approved Brownfield plan, may be eligible for Tax Increment Financing (TIF) reimbursement – increases in property taxes that result from new investments – for both environmental and non-environmental activities. These activities include baseline environmental assessments; due care activities; additional response activities; lead, asbestos and mold abatement; demolition; site preparation; and infrastructure improvements. 

DBRA is governed by its Board of Directors, who receive input from the DBRA Community Advisory Committee (the “DBRA-CAC”). DBRA Board members are appointed by the mayor subject to the consent of City Council.  

Doing Development in Detroit District 4 (Zoom Recording) 

Annie Mendoza
Community Development Manager
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
O 517.855.0924
E mendozaa1@michigan.org

Elizabeth Rademacher
Allocations Manager | LIHTC
Michigan Housing Development Authority (MSHDA)
O 517.335.9864  M 517.290.6732
E rademachere3@michigan.gov

Helpful Links:

Michigan's first Statewide Housing Plan was released in 2022 to address a broad array of intersecting challenges limiting access to safe, healthy, affordable, accessible, and attainable housing for all in a community of their choice. While housing is foundational to thriving communities and healthy families, research that led to the Plan found that historically, equity has not been at the forefront of housing policy and access. The comprehensive plan lays out our state’s challenges and offers a blueprint for how a statewide network of committed housing leaders and advocates can come together to address the goals and priorities and change Michigan’s housing ecosystem for the future by creating a connected and collaborative housing ecosystem of Regional Housing Partnerships. 

1/14/2025 MSHDA (Zoom Webinar) -The webinar begins ~15 minutes into the recording.

 

Helpful Links:

Properties -Use this webpage to learn how to purchase City of Detroit owned land, upcoming development opportunities, and to explore public land for development in Detroit.

Detroit Zoning Portal - This tool simplifies the site selection process and shows you where your project is allowed. 

 

2/25/25 Doing Development in Detroit District 4 (Zoom Webinar) - This webinar begins ~ 1 minute 48 seconds into the recording.