Commission counsel urges review of Guardian Building management as commissioners discuss occupancy and marketing

Wayne County commissioners on Thursday spent significant time reviewing the Guardian Building’s occupancy, lower-level reuse options, and revenue management after a series of operating reports were read into the record.

Shannon Hague, property manager for the Guardian Building, told the committee the management team continues to market the lower-level space and show it to potential tenants, but that the location requires extensive renovation and accessibility work. Hague said there are two main options to provide elevator access: renovate the south-end route or activate an elevator car (identified as elevator No. 12) that would require modernization. “That elevator… expense was estimated in 2022 at just about $550,000 for the single elevator,” she said.

Hague described ongoing marketing by word of mouth and partnerships — including hosting events and partnering with tenant tour operators — and outlined current policies for photography and after-hours rentals. She reported ongoing efforts to update the building’s website and promotional materials and said the management team provides handouts and contact information for event inquiries.

Commissioners asked about occupancy and delinquencies. Hague gave multiple figures during the discussion (at one point saying ‘about 35%’ but later stating ‘24% vacancy, 86% occupied’); she said retail and food tenants have struggled since the pandemic and that the Guardian Cafe (Guardian Ventures) is now paying utilities while managers are negotiating a more comparable base rent with that tenant. She also said another delinquent tenant had satisfied a recent court judgment but remained a slow payer.

Commission counsel raised legal and procedural concerns about how revenues from the county-owned building and the First Street parking garage are handled. The counsel noted the county owns the properties and that “all public funds must be appropriated by this body before they can legally be spent,” adding that the current practice — in which the Economic Development Corporation manages the properties and spends revenues without routing them back through the county’s regular appropriation and budgeting process — raises legal questions and warrants further review.

The committee accepted the operating reports for the record but commission counsel’s statement placed a legal review and coordination with corporate counsel on the committee’s follow-up list.