The city wants to buy the property from the state for $2.5million, says Mike McReynolds, Ferndale's director of technical andplanning services. The 73-acre site, along Eight Mile Road east ofGreenfield Road, would then be sold for the same price to theSchostak Brothers and Co. development firm. "They want to tear downthe buildings and build commercial retail development on the front30 acres, and light industrial in the rear," says McReynolds.

First, the developers must work with the city to change thezoning, since the entire parcel is zoned for industrial use. "Wehave a preliminary site plan, it's not etched in stone," McReynoldssaid. "We just want to work with the state to acquire the property.Then we can leverage our desires for a quality development."

The Armory was built during World War II for the U.S. Navy, andincluded a manufacturing facility where submachine guns wereproduced. There is also an airfield on the property that was usedextensively during the war. After the war the Armory was used forvarious military purposes. The National Guard reportedly musteredthere during the Detroit riots in 1967. The site has been vacantfor more than 10 years.