City Council Approves Sale of Eastern Market Building Tapped for Brewery, Food Accelerator

The Detroit City Council has officially approved the sale of a vacant Eastern Market property at 3,500 Riopelle Street to real estate firm Ventra Group LLC, Crain’s reports. The 104,000-square-foot building, which was previously part of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, is expected to be redeveloped into a new food business hub.

Plans call for a brewery, restaurants, and retail as well as food processing, preservation, storage, and production facilities. Ventra’s owner George Jackson is already in talks with an unnamed “existing brewer” to occupy a portion of the building, according to MLive. Between 10,000 and 15,000-square feet of space will be set aside for a “food accelerator” for small businesses.

Detroit-based architecture firm Centric Design Studio has been tapped to design the building, which sits on an six-acre property. The renovations are expected to be completed by the end of 2018 at a cost of between $15 and $19 million.

Of course, visitors to the area won’t have to wait until 2018 to sip beers in Eastern Market. A new brewery, Eastern Market Brewing Company, is expected to open its doors later this year at 2515 Riopelle Street.

• Council Greenlights Eastern Market Property Sale for $19 million Redevelopment [Crain’s]
• Developer Looks to Lure Brewery to Detroit After Purchase of Eastern Market Building [MLive]
• Is Another Brewery Heading to Eastern Market? [ED]
• All Developments Coverage [ED]