Two weeks after firing 1,000 employees, General Motors wants Michigan taxpayers to pay $250 million to tear down and renovate the Renaissance Center, Crain’s Detroit Business reported.

GM offered to pay $250 million, and the real estate firm Bedrock said it would pay $1 billion, Crain’s reported, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said the companies should foot the entire bill.

In a Nov. 25 news conference, House Speaker-elect Matt Hall, R-Richland, said the proposal was insulting.

“They’re the ones leaving Michigan and leaving Detroit,” Hall said. “So wouldn’t it be a great part of GM’s legacy to just pay to tear down the building and redevelop it? How insulting is it to the taxpayers that these guys say ‘We’re leaving Detroit and we want you guys to pay to tear down the building on our way out?’”

Rep. Dylan Wegela, D-Garden City, also rejected the proposed handout supported by Bedrock, owned by billionaire Dan Gilbert.

“Dan Gilbert has a net worth of $25b. Someone making $50,000 a year would have to work for 500,000 years (saving every penny) to amass that fortune,” Wegela posted on social media. “GM is making record profits. Yet they still have the nerve to ask for a $250 Million handout.”

Bedrock LLC supports the plan. The company posted on social media:

“Bedrock and General Motors announce a conceptual plan to redevelop the Renaissance Center (RenCen) and 27 acres along the Detroit riverfront. The plan preserves the essence of Detroit’s skyline, ‘rightsizes’ the RenCen’s footprint, and connects the site to the heart of downtown. The surrounding entertainment district would become a vibrant waterfront destination, drawing international visitors and featuring restaurants, hospitality, residential and market space—complementing Detroit’s award-winning Riverwalk, which draws more than 3.5 million annual visitors to the city.”

The plan would redevelop three towers into a mix of hospitality and housing, create a new pedestrian walkway connecting the city to the riverfront, and remove the base of the complex and the two office towers nearest the Detroit River, according to Bedrock.

“GM has the best possible partner with Bedrock in this effort to redevelop the Renaissance Center,” Dave Massaron, vice president of infrastructure and corporate citizenship for GM, said in a statement. “Nobody has repurposed more buildings in Detroit than Dan Gilbert and his Bedrock team. This is another chapter in their unprecedented commitment to building the best possible future for the city and Michigan.”

The proposal follows a banner year for corporate welfare in Michigan. Since 2023, Michigan lawmakers have approved $4.6 billion in handouts to select, favored companies.

Michigan Capitol Confidential would like to wish our readers a Happy Thanksgiving. There is a lot of work that needs to be done to improve our great state, but there is much to be thankful for on this day.

First, we would like to tell our readers how thankful we are for you and your continued support.

Our readers not only digest the news we report but use it to work toward a freer state. Our readers are engaged and team with us to get the word out on important issues. This often results in our collective voices being heard and represented in Lansing.

We are also thankful for the freedom of speech protected by the U.S. Constitution. Many people in other countries risk imprisonment or even death for speaking their convictions, so we must not take freedom of speech for granted.

We have heard of draconian laws restricting speech even in well-established democracies such as the United Kingdom. Reports from there say citizens have been jailed for nonthreatening social media posts.

It is important to the integrity of our free nation that all voices are heard. That’s one reason why we continue to celebrate and be thankful for this most precious freedom.

In the hustle and bustle of life’s responsibilities, it is important to take a day to reflect on how thankful we are for the bountiful natural beauty our state offers — those places we run off to when we need a break from life.

Michigan provides plenty of natural escapes.

The mitten is surrounded by the largest bodies of fresh water in the world. Thousands of lakes and rivers provide organic stress relief. You can relax while listening to the rushing waters of a river or to the sound of waves crashing on the shore.

Or you can interact with our abundance of natural resources through skiing, fishing and boating.

If you traverse the longest freshwater shoreline in the United States, you will find diverse attractions and activities. Northern Michigan provides the landscaped beauty of Sleeping Bear Dunes and the Porcupine Mountains. Or you may travel back in time to Mackinac Island and visit quaint fishing villages such as Leland.

Those who love city life can visit the heart and history of the automotive industry at Greenfield Village. Or attend a Red Wings, Tigers or Lions event.

Michigan has a lot to offer, which is why it is important to not only protect our natural resources, but our economy.

CapCon is thankful for the workers who make our state thrive and drive our economy. Without a diverse workforce, many of the things that make Michigan great would cease to exist.

Thank you to all of the workers, especially our farmers, who get up every day to help feed the world.

Without everyone’s efforts, we would not be able to enjoy all that our state has to offer.

We may not always agree on how to make our great state thrive, but we all agree we want to that happen. And today we can all be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!