The Detroit Regional Chamber is calling on the Detroit City Council to approve the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) and financing tools for the $2.24 billion Renaissance Center and East Riverfront redevelopment led by Bedrock and General Motors Co.
Following the Neighborhood Advisory Council’s (NAC) 8-1 vote on Oct. 27 to approve a $40 million-plus CBA, the Chamber continued its public policy and advocacy efforts to push this generational transformation across the finish line. On Oct. 28, Adam Majestic, the Chamber’s Director of Public Policy and Business Advocacy, testified before the Council’s Planning and Economic Development Committee.
During his committee testimony, Majestic emphasized that the city has earned the right to expect world-class infrastructure while respecting the resident-led process designed by the Council.
“For too long, our city was forced to operate from a mindset of scarcity, managing decline, and settling for less. Today, we have earned the right to build a culture of high expectations. Simply put: Detroiters deserve nice things,” Majestic said. “Our families deserve 18 acres of world-class riverfront parkland instead of a 1970s concrete fortress and surface lots. Our neighborhoods deserve the 580-plus new housing units and the municipal income tax generated by a decade of union construction jobs and 2,600 permanent jobs.”
Majestic also noted that respecting the integrity of the NAC’s vote is the ultimate show of respect for the residents who spent tireless hours securing investments in affordable housing, small businesses, and youth programming.
The committee is expected to vote on the project during its Nov. 12 meeting, with it expected to come before the full council on Nov. 17.
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