Wayne County has set plans in motion to purchase the Guardian Building
as well as the smaller building attached to it and a parking structure
at Fort and First streets. A total offer of $33.5 million has been
made, and county executive Robert Ficano expects the Old Wayne County
Commission to vote to approve the purchase within 30 days.
From now through October 31, when the county's Wayne County Building
lease expires, Ficano says he will continue to negotiate with that
building's owner, the Farbman Group. The county is currently paying $5
million a year to rent that building and the current purchase price is
stated to be $52 million.
Ficano says that regardless of the outcome of Old Wayne County Building
negotiations, the purchase of the Guardian Building will allow for
consolidation of county employees from other buildings, like the
Neudeck, downtown. He says his goal is "to have all county services in
one location" so that constituents would only have to "park once to
take care of all their business."
As for the significance of the Guardian to Detroit's landscape, Ficano
says, "It's a historical building, one that we're very proud of, one
that signifies Detroit."
Source: Robert Ficano, Wayne County
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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