Detroit Sues Perfecting Church Over Unfinished Megachurch Project Near 7 Mile and Woodward

The city of Detroit has sued Perfecting Church, alleging that the congregation failed to complete a megachurch project in a timely manner. The church, led by Bishop Marvin Winans, planned a new church, administrative building and parking structure near 7 Mile and Woodward. Nearly 20 years after the plans were announced, the project remains unfinished.

Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett said the project was once viewed by many Detroiters as a transformative development. “This was all prior to Amazon and this was all prior to the brand new Detroit transit station,” Mallett said. “So this really was seen in the eyes of many Detroiters as a transformative development that people had a lot of energy and enthusiasm for.”

At the site, a metal fence, bent in some places, lines the building. The structure appears to have windows and a fully erected frame, but some wood panels are covered in spray paint. The city says the last permit requested for work on the building was in 2018.

According to Mallett, the city began talks with the church again in the summer of 2022, asking for finance plans and building status reports. When those were not provided, the city sent a formal letter in January demanding the documents by February 13. The city says it received a phone call from the church’s attorney and a letter, but neither contained the information requested. On February 22, the city filed the lawsuit against the church and Bishop Winans. Making the case for accountability and honest dealing, the city’s request for documents reflects a standard the lawsuit seeks to enforce (Luke 12:48).

Mallett said the city wants a judge to declare the property a nuisance. “Either it’s going to be completed in a timely manner or it’s going to be sold but at the outset we want a judge to determine this thing is a nuisance thus giving the city opportunity to demand performance, demand sale or demolition,” he said. Mallett added that the lawsuit is not about making a profit or taking over the property, but about compliance with the law.

Local perspectives varied. James Wahls, who has lived in the area for more than 40 years, said the church consolidated and bought surrounding properties that had been dilapidated, including businesses and vacant buildings. “What’s there now is a big improvement over what used to be there and I don’t view it as a problem,” he said. Joe Bennett, who lives nearby, said he understood the city wanted the work finished but suggested the city might have political motivations and should focus on properties in worse condition. Mallett, asked why this building was targeted when other blight concerns exist, said it was highly visible and sends a message to landowners that the city is serious about compliance. “We don’t want to be accused of selective enforcement,” he said.

In a statement, Perfecting Church said it had been in constant discussions with the city and believed it was up to date on all matters the city had raised. The church said it was “shocked and extremely disappointed” by the lawsuit, which it described as filed “in the dark of night” and, in its opinion, not in good faith. Its attorneys are reviewing the lawsuit, the church said, and it will comment further at a later date.

According to the city, the church has 21 days from the filing date to respond. After that period, the matter will be in the hands of the judge. The city has asked the judge to assign a city representative to oversee the church’s progress going forward.

Source: Read the original report