The U.S. General Services Administration has awarded a lease construction contract to Chicago-based Higgins Development Partners for the new FBI Detroit Field Office. The site is an almost 11-acre parcel bounded by the Lodge Freeway and Howard, Brooklyn and Porter Streets. It is just south of Corktown's historic district and currently occupied by two former State of Michigan office buildings.
Three buildings will be constructed on the site. The main office building will be triangular and will be on the southeastern-most corner of the parcel, although it will be set back from the Greyhound Bus Station by a green lawn. Higgins and the GSA have made a significant commitment to green building techniques -- they plan to seek out silver LEED certification for the building, which will be eight stories and triangular in shape.
There will also be a one-story service building immediately north of the office building. A 100-foot green buffer will separate the neighborhood from the buildings, and public on-street parking along Porter Street will be preserved.
A four-story parking deck will be sited west of the office building, on the Brooklyn side of the property. Because the campus' construction will necessitate the closing of Sixth Street between Porter and Howard, Higgins is exploring the possibility of re-opening Brooklyn Street at Porter to create an alternate north-south through-way for Corktown residents. One hitch is that part of the former right-of-way has private ownership; negotiations are being explored.
Demolition of the existing buildings will likely begin in 90 days and construction in six months. FBI will occupy the building in April of 2009; the estimated development cost is $99,871,024.
Local members of the development team are JM Olson Corporation as general contractor and Ghafari Associates as associate architect.Source: Tom Samuels, Higgins Development Partners
Rendering courtesy GSA
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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