Real Estate & Property Law

Henry Ford Hospital Expansion

By Alan Ackerman

Detroit News

Reaction is mixed to Henry Ford's plans, which include expanding across West Grand Boulevard with a campus expected to include housing, retail, doctors' offices and research facilities. The health system has bought 85 percent of the land needed for the project. But unless it can get the rest, the project will stall, or the system will have to modify the plan, said William Schramm, senior vice president of business development.

"It sounds like a good thing, as long as it creates jobs," said Robert Knowles, an Allen Park resident who lost his job last week.

"The whole area could probably use it ... as long as they don't put anybody out of homes."
    
This law firm was involved with the Henry Ford expansion in the 1970s.  However the process then was premised upon urban renewal for the Virginia Park Redevelopment Project.  In that project, large swaths of the area north of West Grand Boulevard were taken as blighted properties.  The City of Detroit acquired the land, and transferred the land to the hospital.  
    
The situation may be very different here.  First, in Michigan, hospitals do not have public authority to acquire land.  This does occur in other states.  Second, the properties being taken may not be blighted.
    
Henry Ford may find itself in a position in which it cannot expand, which would be horrible for the hospital and the City.  At the same time, Henry Ford Hospital could simply do this right.

Full post as published by National Eminent Domain Blog on April 07, 2010 (boomark / email).