Notice of CPC Institutional Building Adaptive Reuse
A public hearing will be held by the Detroit City Planning Commission in the Committee of the Whole
Room, 13th Floor, Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48226
at the date and time listed below. Both in-person and virtual attendance are options to participate. Pursuant
to public health guidelines and limited room capacity, if anyone has cold, flu, COVID symptoms or other
contagious condition, virtual attendance is strongly encouraged. To attend the meeting virtually, please use
the link toward the end of this notice.
THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025 AT 6:00 PM
to consider a text amendment that would amend Chapter 50 of the 2019 Detroit City Code, Zoning, with
respect to Institutional Building Adaptive Reuse and Tactical Preservation:
• To define institutional adaptive building reuse and provide for the adaptive reuse and preservation
of vacant or underutilized institutional buildings, such as libraries, fire and police stations, post
offices, court houses, schools and educational institutions, religious institutions and religious
residential, utility buildings, school buildings and other institutional buildings, in residential and
zoning districts where such new uses would otherwise be prohibited.
• To allow approximately 50 permissible uses that provide day to day goods and services—
including residential, civic, cultural, educational, retail, office, food service, and light industrial
uses on a conditional basis, when they contribute positively to the surrounding community and
limit adverse impacts.
• To prevent demolition of subject buildings by requiring that at a percentage of the building be
retained in order to receive certain development standard reductions.
• To allow for tactical preservation practices that modify development standards and permit the
partial and incremental reuse of existing buildings through the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and
Environmental Department to encourage the preservation of buildings that are revitalized one
space at a time.
• To allow for parking and loading reductions to facilitate the adaptive reuse and tactical
preservation of certain existing buildings.
By amending:
Article III, Review and Approval Procedures (Part 1), Division 5, Site Plan Review, Subdivision A, In General, Section 50-3-113, Applicability;
Article IV, Review and Approval Procedures (Part 2), Division 3, Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy, Subdivision A, Building Permits, Section 50-4-43, Permit required for new use of buildings;
Article VIII, Residential Zoning Districts, Division 2 through Division 7 (R1 through R6), Sections 50-8-20 through 50-8-174 (various subsections on conditional uses);
Article XI, Special Purpose Zoning Districts and Overlay Areas, Division 11, SD2—Special Development District, Mixed-Use, Section 50-11-272, Conditional retail, service, and commercial uses, and Section 50-11-273, Conditional manufacturing and industrial uses;
Article XII, Use Regulations, Division 1, Use Table, Subdivisions B through F (Residential Uses, Public/Civic/Institutional Uses, Retail/Service/Commercial Uses, Manufacturing/Industrial Uses, and Agricultural Uses);
Adrian-Keith Bennett
Kenneth R. Daniels
David Esparza, AIA, LEED Ritchie Harrison
Gwendolyn A. Lewis, MBA
Frederick E. Russell, Jr.
Rachel M. Udabe
Donovan Smith Chairperson
Vice Chair/Secretary
Marcell R. Todd, Jr. Director
Christopher Gulock, AICP Deputy Director
Article XII, Use Regulations, Division 2, General Use Standards, Section 50-12-138, School public, civic or institutional building adaptive reuse provision;
Article XII, Use Regulations, Division 3, Specific Use Standards, Subdivision A, Residential Uses, Sections 50-12-152 through 50-12-167 (residential use standards), Subdivisions C through F (retail, service, and commercial uses, manufacturing and industrial uses);
Article XIII, Intensity and Dimensional Standards;
Article XIV, Development Standards; Division 1, Off Street Parking, Loading, and Access for reformatting and further parking reductions;
Article XVI, Rules of Construction and Definitions, Division 2, Words and Terms Defined, Subdivision B, Letter “A”, Section 50-16-381, Words and terms (Sa – Sd); and
Other provisions as may be warranted.
The text amendment is being considered by the City Planning Commission in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Division 2 of the Detroit Zoning Ordinance. Zoning Ordinance text amendments require the approval of the City Council after a public hearing and after receipt of a report and recommendation by the City Planning Commission.
All interested persons are invited to be present and be heard as to their views. Persons making oral presentations are encouraged to submit written copies, for the record, to the City Planning Commission via U.S. Mail at the above address or e-mail at [email protected]. Public comment/testimony may be given at the appropriate times when called for during the meeting. If you desire to speak and are attending the meeting online, press the “raise your hand” icon at the bottom of the screen or press ALT-Y for a PC or OPT-Y for a MAC to raise your hand virtually. If attending by phone press *-9 to raise your hand.
If interpretation or translation services are needed, including for the hearing impaired, call the Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity at 313-224-4950. For further information on this proposal or the public hearing, please call (313) 224-6225.
To participate virtually in the CPC meeting, please use the following options.
Online:
https://cityofdetroit.zoom.us/j/96355593579?pwd=TTloMzN5M3pmU1RKNXp1MjJ…
Or iPhone one-tap:
US: +12678310333,96355593579# or +13017158592,,96355593579#
Or by Telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 267 831 0333 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 213 338 8477 or +1 253
215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 Webinar ID: 963 5559 3579
CPC Webpage: https://detroitmi.gov/government/commissions/city-planning-commission