Barry Murray, economic and community development director for the city, tells GlobeSt.com that the plans include a 150,000-sf medical building, that will include 10,000 sf of ground-floor retail, as well as a two-story office-retail building, and a 100-unit, 110,000-sf senior housing building, as well as a 650-car parking deck. The property will be named Dearborn Town Center.

The 95,000-sf Montgomery Ward property, which encompassed two buildings, was closed in 2001 after the chain went bankrupt in 1999. "We tried to let the private sector handle it, but it didn't work out," Murray says. "There were several proposals brought forward, but they had various problems. Then, when we started to get proposals for converting it to warehouse space, we stepped in, we didn't think that was the appropriate use."

A local medical center, Midwest Health Services, is joining with Oakwood Healthcare System to create the $45 million medical building. "Oakwood is going to buy out Midwest in the deal," Barry says.

American House will be the owners and managers of the independent living home for seniors. Barry says the city is scheduled to help pay for the parking deck, but that is being negotiated. "We're hopeful we can get out, that we can get the private sector to handle all the costs," he says.

There are several development agreements to work through, but he says the construction should start by Sept. 1. The main structures would be finished by the end of 2009, and the housing portion would be complete by June 2010, Barry says.