The DLBA Office will be closed from Monday, December 23, 2024, through Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

During this holiday closure, all DLBA Auction activities will be suspended.

The auction will resume on Monday, January 6, 2025.

For questions please contact: [email protected] 

Purchase Property by Application


If you are interested in buying a property not listed for sale on our Auction, Own-it-Now, Rehabbed & Ready, Marketing, Side Lot, Neighborhood Lot, or other Land Reuse programs, we are here to help. Big or small, we’d love to hear your ideas! Check out the 3 steps below to get started.

 



Public Property Application

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1. WHO OWNS THE LAND?
Use the City of Detroit’s Detroit Development Opportunities map to locate the property of interest. Is it owned by the DLBA? City of Detroit? Someone else?
 
FAQ
2. APPLICATION FAQs
If the DLBA owns the property of interest, check out these FAQs to learn more about the process.
 
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3. PROPERTY PURCHASE APPLICATION
Complete the City Of Detroit Public Property Purchase Application Form. Once your Application is submitted, you can expect a call from a DLBA representative within 2-4 weeks, if DLBA owns the property.




Decisions related to the disposition of property owned by the DLBA are approved by the DLBA Board at DLBA monthly public meetings. Departments, agencies, and organizations responsible for the disposition of property owned by the City and the DLBA, include: The Mayor’s Office (Jobs & Economy Team), the Housing and Revitalization Department, the Planning & Development Department, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, the City Law Department, the Detroit Building Authority, the DLBA, and the Department of Neighborhoods. These departments, agencies, and organizations endeavor to place publicly-owned property back in the hands of responsible private citizens and organizations by disposing of publicly-owned property in a transparent, fair, and efficient manner.

Past Projects

The DLBA works with individuals, groups, and businesses to sell land and structures for a variety of uses, everything from gardens and green space to new construction and residential developments. Sales are approved by the DLBA Board at DLBA monthly public meetings. To see where DLBA past sales are impacting the community, check out the City Of Detroit's Neighborhood Improvement Tracker and turn on on the 'Partner & Project Sales’ filter under 'DLBA Sold Properties'.