Process for Purchasing Publicly Owned Land or Property
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Read This First
For a successful application, have the following completed or prepared before you proceed:
- Have a property/site already identified
- City of Detroit taxes paid (or there is a payment plan in place)
- Blight tickets paid (or there us an agreement in place)
- City-owned or Detroit Land Bank Authority property/properties identified.
- Proposal for the intended use of the property/properties is prepared and ready to submit
- Estimate of total development costs and timeline of projects
Please note, property sales are subject to review and require City Council approval. Applying for a property does not guarantee you will be able to purchase the property.
What’s the process like?
- Identify property to purchase
- Prepare to submit application
- Apply to purchase
- Initial application review
- In-depth review
- City Council/DLBA Board review and approval
- Closing
- Compliance
Step by Step
Identify property to purchase
Prepare to submit application
Determine the details of your projects
- Use – What do you plan to do with the property?
- Necessary approvals – Is what I’m proposing to do allowed under current zoning? What permits and licenses will be needed?
- Construction timeline
- Estimated cost
Make sure you are current on property taxes & blight tickets
Apply to purchase
Initial application review
- Is the property available to purchase?
- Are there other applications for the property?
In-depth review
- Allowable & Desired Use
- Project allowed by zoning (by right)&
- Project allowed conditionally
- Prepare and submit special land use application to BSEED
- Project not allowed by zoning
- Meet with the City Planning Commission and the Planning & Development Department to determine your options
- Applicant Capacity & Previous Experience
- Project Feasibility
- Offer Amount
City Council/DLBA Board review and approval
City Council reviews and approves all City land sales and go through the Planning & Economic Development (PED) committee. Be prepared to respond to questions from City Council members and attend the PED committee meeting (virtual or in person)
Closing
- Conditions to close
- Special Land Use permit or rezoning, if required
- Preliminary Plan Review/Design Review
- Detroit Building Authority closing
- Title company closing, if buyer elects to use a title company
Compliance
- File the Property Transfer Affidavit Form
- If a structure, contact Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to set up a water account
- If you signed a development agreement as part of your purchase, you will need to satisfy the requirements of that agreement in order for the City to release its interest in the property.
- For some sales, a property reverter is part of the sale. A reverter gives the City the ability to take the property back into City ownership if the terms of the agreement are not met. For example, if no progress has been made to develop and improve a property after the agreed deadline.