Oakland County closed on the purchase of two office buildings, several parcels of vacant land, and the Phoenix Center Garage and Amphitheater in Pontiac as part of a program to redevelop, revitalize, and reconnect downtown in partnership with the city.
The county will refurbish the vacant former GM building on East Judson and move up to 600 employees into the building, returning a portion of the county’s workforce to downtown Pontiac after an absence of more than 50 years.
“In an historic opportunity, through a partnership with the city and state, we are re-investing in downtown Pontiac,” says Dave Coulter, Oakland County Executive. “Since 2000, we have assisted communities in creating unique and vibrant downtowns and with this transformational project, it is Pontiac’s turn to shine.”
An agreement approved by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners and Pontiac City Council outlines how the project will proceed:
- The city will use funds received from the state of Michigan to retire debt related to the Phoenix Center and will convey ownership of the property on which it sits to Oakland County.
- The county will demolish the Phoenix Center, reopening Saginaw Street through to what is now the south end of the Woodward Loop and creating a more walkable environment in downtown Pontiac.
- The county’s plans include construction of a new parking garage for the use of workers in the two office buildings, as well as by residents and people doing business downtown.
Under the agreement, after removing the Phoenix Center, the county has committed to convey a minimum of two acres of land to the city of Pontiac. The city will own this property and will determine how it can be best used for the benefit of its residents.
In the coming months the people of Pontiac will be invited to participate in community meetings to ask questions and share their ideas about how the project can best meet residents’ needs.
“The county’s investment will help spark a revitalization of our downtown and restore Pontiac’s rightful place as the heart of Oakland County,” says Tim Greimel, mayor of Pontiac.
The project will cost more than $120-$130 million, $50 million of which the state of Michigan will contribute to the project. Oakland County intends to invest $10 million in funds received from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan, as well.
Other resources are available at the state level, including transformational brownfield redevelopment credits and community revitalization grants and credits, as well as at the federal level including through grant programs established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, including the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program. The county also will seek public/private partnerships to aid the project. The county will conduct a competitive bid process, with requests for proposals going out later this year.
Oakland County states it will raze the Phoenix Center because cost estimates to bring the garage and amphitheater back into fully functioning shape, as well as for future maintenance, are $61 million.
Factors that make this the right moment for this investment in downtown Pontiac include avoiding capital costs on existing county buildings following a Plante Moran study revealing that more than $550 million in critical repairs are needed at buildings on the Oakland County campus in northwest Pontiac and Waterford Township.
By relocating up to 600 employees to downtown Pontiac and consolidating three existing buildings into one, the county states it will avoid up to $54 million in costs that would have to be done to make current buildings safe and up-to-code for continued occupancy. The county will notify employees and the public when it determines which departments and divisions are moving downtown.
The reconfiguring of the Woodward Loop by the Michigan Department of Transportation will be completed in 2025 or 2026.
Visit here to stay informed and share feedback with the county.
