County Agencies Ready to Move in Warren

WARREN, MI-Macomb County officials are set to relocate their health department and welfare offices to make way for Warren’s $75 million downtown development project.

The city of Warren will pick up the tab for the County to purchase two new buildings, renovate the facilities, move their staff and equipment, and tear down the existing “Warren satellite” building, which was built by the County in the mid-1970s. No cost estimate has been provided yet for the project.

The health department staff will move to a largely vacant building owned by Hutzel Hospital, located at 12 Mile and Ryan roads. The Family Independence Agency will relocate to a vacant office building in south Warren, located on 10 Mile across from Bi-County Community Hospital.

Gina Cavaliere, director of Warren’s Downtown Development Authority, said the DDA in 2001 considered four plans that would have saved the 40,000 sf County Building but none were feasible. The County facility is located directly behind the existing city hall and would have prevented plans to put a new city hall and main library under one roof.

“It just was not working. It will cost the DDA less to move the occupants of that building than to work around the building,” Cavaliere said.

Cavaliere said the city hopes to initiate the move on April 1, 2004, and then quickly demolish the County Building.