Fort Street Corridor (Schaefer → Outer Drive)
A 15‑parcel, community‑led redevelopment in Southwest Detroit/Downriver focused on a full‑service grocery, affordable housing, local retail, and a safer, greener public realm. This page captures the vision, the formation steps (Fort Street CDC), the funding stack, and a near‑term action plan.
Corridor snapshot
Where & what
Fort Street (M‑85) between Schaefer and Outer Drive in ZIP 48217 (Boynton–Oakwood Heights). Parcels include an eight‑lot cluster, a Visitor & Fort corner, and a bar + gated parking lot.
Anchor references (provided)
| Corridor | Fort St (M‑85) · Schaefer → Outer Drive |
|---|---|
| Example address | 2709 S Fort St (Yoshi Hibachi Grill area) |
| Another reference | 3133 S Fort St (within corridor) |
| Neighborhood | Southwest Detroit / Downriver (48217) |
What we’re building
Grocery + fresh food
Full‑service grocery with healthy staples, prepared foods, and local vendors. SNAP‑enabled, curb‑safe loading, and nutrition programming via partners.
Affordable housing
Mixed‑income rentals with LIHTC‑eligible set‑asides; ground‑floor active uses; tenant services coordinated with community partners.
Local retail & services
Street‑front bays for essential services (pharmacy, banking, laundry) plus maker/food kiosks. Nighttime lighting and safer crossings.
Formation: Fort Street Community Development Corporation
Set up the entity
- Incorporate Michigan nonprofit (working name: Fort Street CDC)
- Adopt bylaws, conflict‑of‑interest, board with resident + business seats
- Apply for 501(c)(3) (Form 1023) and State charitable registration
- Execute site control (LOIs/PSAs/leases) across all parcels
Early workstreams
- Phase I ESA + title, survey, and zoning checks
- Community engagement & benefits plan (hiring, local vendors, safety)
- RFPs: architect, civil, traffic, grocery ops partner, GC/CM
- Pre‑apps with City (HRD/Planning/DBRA) & MEDC/MCRP
Funding stack (illustrative)
Affordable housing
LIHTC (9% / 4% via MSHDA), PILOT property tax relief, soft funds (HOME/CDBG), and CRA bank debt.
Grocery & retail
HFFI (loans/grants), NMTC for large mixed‑use, CDFI senior/mezz debt, MSF MCRP gap financing.
Site readiness
Brownfield TIF (Act 381) via DBRA for demo, remediation, site prep, and infrastructure; MEDC RAP for public space.
We’ll maintain a live capital model and incentive calendar; partners can plug in at predev, vertical, and permanent phases.
Phasing & cadence
0–90 days
- Form CDC; open project bank account & governance
- Complete ESAs, title, and site control; preliminary site plan
- Grocery operator shortlist; housing dev partner RFP
- Start PILOT/LIHTC pre‑apps; schedule DBRA brownfield intake
90–180 days
- Concept design + order‑of‑magnitude budget & pro formas
- Community meetings; CBA/benefits outline
- Submit MCRP LOI; HFFI planning/implementation apps
- Traffic/corridor safety scope with City + MDOT
6–18 months
- Site plan approvals; brownfield plan; LIHTC/NMTC applications
- Close on land; finalize grocery lease & housing capital stack
- Bid packages; GMP; utility relocations & site works
- Small‑bay retail incubator pilots start
18–36 months
- Vertical construction; workforce & vendor pipelines live
- Turnover and lease‑up; public realm punchlist
- Year‑1 operations dashboard (usage, jobs, emissions)
Who we’re looking to partner with
Cities & agencies
Detroit HRD/Planning, DBRA, Wayne County BRA, MDOT—coordination on PILOT, brownfield, permitting, streets, and safety.
Capital
LIHTC investors, NMTC CDEs, CDFIs/CRA banks, philanthropic PRI, and mission‑aligned grocer equity.
Operators
Grocer, pharmacy/clinic, neighborhood services, and local makers/food entrepreneurs for kiosk bays.
Notes
Locally, this corridor is sometimes written as “4th Street.” Official mapping and most addresses use Fort Street (M‑85). Reference points include 2709 S Fort St (Yoshi Hibachi Grill area) and the project‑provided 3133 S Fort St.
Let’s assemble the full stack
If you are a grocer, housing developer, contractor, lender, or community partner, we’d like to talk this week.