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EXECUTIVE WARREN C. EVANS APPLAUDS APPROVAL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER AGREEMENT WITH ROCK VENTURES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2018
COUNTY EXECUTIVE WARREN C. EVANS APPLAUDS APPROVAL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER AGREEMENT WITH ROCK VENTURES
Ground-breaking on new criminal justice center expected by fall
DETROIT - Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans today applauded the approval of the definitive agreement with Rock Ventures to construct a new criminal justice center on East Warren Ave near the I-75 service drive. Today, the Wayne County Commission approved the agreement by a vote of 14-1, clearing the way for work on the site to start later this fall. The vote comes the day after the Wayne County Building Authority also approved the deal.
"I applaud Chairman Woronchak and the Commission and Building Authority for their due diligence, and ultimately their support of this deal, which was the best value and path forward given the circumstances," Evans said. "We desperately need these new facilities and shovels can't get into the ground soon enough. Heading into summer, Wayne County is on its best financial footing in quite some time. It's only fitting that we'll see that unfinished Gratiot jail torn down soon."
As terms of the deal, Rock Ventures will build a new $533-million criminal justice center, providing the County with four state-of-the-art buildings as a solution to its long-stalled Gratiot jail project. The County will invest $380 million in the project with Rock covering the remaining costs and any overruns in constructing the center. The full agreement is available online.
"I'm proud of all the work and sweat equity that went into this deal. I'm not sure anyone involved will ever work on a more complex set of negotiations," Evans said. "I can't say enough about everyone at Wayne County who worked so hard to get the greatest value to address one of our most pressing facilities needs. I'd also like to thank Dan Gilbert, Matt Cullen and the Rock Ventures team for their efforts throughout this process."
With Commission and Building Authority approval secured, preliminary work is expected to start this fall on the new criminal justice center site and a sooner timeline for demolition work on the unfinished Gratiot jail. The new criminal justice center is expected to be completed in 2022. The County is also expected to issue bonds to help pay for its portion of the cost later this summer. On June 1, Standard and Poor's raised the County's bond rating two notches, to BBB +, which is expected to help the County secure better financing for the project.
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