Detroit Shipping Co. Food Hall to Break Ground in August

The shipping container development will feature five restaurants and two bars

by Brenna Houck Jul 14, 2016, 3:55pm EDT

Brenna Houck is a Cities Manager for the Eater network. She previously edited Eater Detroit and reported for Eater. You can follow her on the internet at @brennahouck.

A new Cass Corridor food hall — the first in Detroit — will break ground next month. Detroit Shipping Company (formerly Detroit ShipYard) cofounder Jonathan Hartzell confirms to Eater that after numerous delays the shipping container development has received approvals from the city and plans to put "spades in the ground" on August 22.

Hartzell estimates that the building will require between three and four months of construction. If all goes as planned, the food hall located on Peterboro Street near The Peterboro and 8 Degrees Plato Detroit could launch as early as December. Detroit Shipping Company will house five small-scale, independent restaurants, two bars, and communal seating with additional space for vendors, a pop-up gallery, and a live performance venue.

In February, two unnamed restaurants were confirmed for the project. Hartzell says a third has signed on since and he and his partners James Therkalsen and Timothy Tharp (Grand Trunk Pub, Checker Bar) are in talks with four additional operators for the two remaining spaces. Hartzell expects to acquire building permits within the next few weeks.

Detroit Shipping Company will host a groundbreaking event on-site on August 20 in conjunction with the newly formed Detroit Restaurant Association, which will feature a food truck, tents, renderings of the development, and the restaurant partners. Stay tuned for more updates and take a peek at the fresh renderings below.