Substance leaking into church latest complaint over Grosse Pointe Park arts center

Grosse Pointe Park — The Archdiocese of Detroit is accusing the construction of a Grosse Pointe Park arts center of causing an oily, smelly substance to leak into the ground underneath the Catholic church next to the planned arts development.

The "petroleum-based material" allegedly seeping into part of the land beneath St. Ambrose Church is the latest controversy facing the A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Center for the Performing Arts and the Richard and Jane Manoogian Art Gallery. The arts project is being built along the East Jefferson Avenue border of Detroit and Grosse Pointe Park, with part of the development in Detroit. The historic Catholic church in Grosse Pointe Park is next to the future arts center.

Construction of the $45 million arts development has sparked two lawsuits in the past year. Now, two disputes have arisen with St. Ambrose on Hampton Street, which shares part of the block with the arts center, that have sparked ongoing discussions between lawyers.

Last year, the city of Detroit sued the nonprofit behind the project, the Urban Renewal Initiative Fund (URIF), for demolishing properties without a permit on the Detroit side of the development. That lawsuit was settled after Detroit's Historic District Commission approved the demolitions and the developer agreed to some concessions. The concessions included increasing the size of a planned public area near Jefferson Avenue and Alter Road and creating some type of historical marker of the buildings razed.

This year, the fund was sued by Wayne County, which contends the project ignored county warnings and built over a drainage and sewer pipeline that is critical to prevent flooding in the area, according to the lawsuit. Last month, an interim agreement was reached, but details have not been announced as talks continue. The county's original suit sought to have part of the building's foundation, which has already been built, removed.

The discussions regarding St. Ambrose involve the unknown substance leaking into church grounds and the property line between the arts project and the church.

"For the last 8-9 months, staff at St. Ambrose have noticed what appears to be a petroleum-based material leaching into a below-ground sump pit located in the parish’s ARK (basement) space," Holly Fournier, spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Detroit, said in an email to The Detroit News.

The leaking substance has not caused any damage to the church, Fournier said.

"While there is sometimes an oily sheen visible, for the most part, this issue presents as a chemical odor emitting from the sump pit," she said.

The "ARK space" is the church's underground banquet center that has been closed since flood water deluged the area in 2021. A sump pit is a hole in the floor of a basement that collects water underneath the foundation to pump it out and prevent flooding. The unknown substance flowing into the church sump pit has delayed the repairs needed to reopen the banquet center, according to St. Ambrose's website.

Officials from St. Ambrose declined to comment, referring questions to the archdiocese. A March 31 parish newsletter mentioned some of the details being discussed between archdiocese lawyers representing St. Ambrose and the Schaap Center's lawyers. Part of the talks include asking the urban renewal fund to "remediate the issue, reimburse the Parish’s costs to date and take responsibility for all further costs associated with this issue," according to the newsletter.

The executive director of the art center, Jamie Rae Turnbull, said she is not part of the talks with the archdiocese or the lawsuits. Attorneys representing the Schaap Center didn't respond to requests for comment.

"I am not privy to the discussions," Turnbull said in an email statement to The News. The matters are being "handled by the legal and project management team," she said.

The archdiocese and the art center are also having "ongoing discussions" regarding the property line, Fournier said. Those talks involve "reciprocal easements over the boundary between the two properties," referring to St. Ambrose and the art center. A reciprocal easement is a legal agreement between property owners that sets the terms over access and rules of use for common spaces of the two properties.

The size of the proposed art center, as well as its design, have drawn criticism for years by some Grosse Pointe Park residents, including Graig Donnelly.

“This is part of a larger strategy of not being a good neighbor to Detroit and (Grosse Pointe Park) not listening to its own residents ... about what we’d like to see in our own neighborhoods," Donnelly said.

Donnelly contends the design of the building "turns its back on Detroit" because the main entrance is not on East Jefferson but instead faces Grosse Pointe Park.

Many Grosse Pointe Park residents, including political leaders and Detroit residents, have expressed support of the art center in the past, Turnbull noted.

The Schaap Center is named after Grosse Pointe Park residents Paul Schaap and his wife, Carol, along with Richard Manoogian and his wife, Jane. Both couples have contributed millions of dollars to the project. The Manoogians have an extensive art collection, including works at the Detroit Institute of Arts, and are also behind the Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum in Mackinac Island.

"The Schaap and Manoogian families, as well as many other donors, continue to support the project with great enthusiasm and significant financial commitment," Turnbull said.

The Urban Renewal Initiative Fund is still fundraising to meet its $55 million goal to open and maintain the Schaap Center, Turnbull said.

"We have raised over $40 million to date and are actively fundraising to reach our $45 million dollar goal with an anticipated opening in fall 2025," Turnbull said.

The Schaap Center website says it is $4.9 million shy of its $45 million capital campaign goal, which is mainly for the construction of the project, and $3.9 million shy of its $10 million endowment goal, which goes toward operating the facility.

Property records show an entity connected to the Schaaps began to buy property that's now part of the art center's footprint back in 2012. Some of the property was owned by the city of Grosse Pointe Park and sold to the Schaap-linked entity, which then transferred the land to URIF, the nonprofit behind the art center, for free, public property records show. The city also relocated its Department of Public Works building, on the corner of Alter Road and Jefferson Avenue, which is now part of Schaap Center development.

Grosse Pointe Park Mayor Michele Hodges is a staunch supporter. "This project will favorably impact the community by bridging the border, serving as a synergistic home to arts organizations, creating economic impact for both jurisdictions, and furthering momentum along the Jefferson corridor," Hodges wrote in an email to The News.

"I am grateful to the foundation for making it reality, and I remain in support of solutions that enable it to achieve its full potential."

Neither of the lawsuits nor the discussions with the archdiocese regarding St. Ambrose directly involve the city of Grosse Pointe Park government, Hodges noted.

"During the term of my service, and within the boundaries of its authority, the City of Grosse Pointe Park has held all stakeholders accountable. I continue to expect all parties to be held accountable, to the highest standards, because accountability is the best method for avoiding issues and concerns," Hodges said.

The Schaap Center is expected to be the home for the Grosse Pointe Theatre, the Grosse Pointe Symphony Orchestra and Grosse Pointe Community Chorus. Major Detroit cultural institutions will provide occasional programming, Turnbull said.

"The Detroit Symphony Orchestra will continue its long history of performing in neighborhoods throughout Southeast Michigan and the Detroit Institute of Arts will bring a wide variety of art forms," she said. "The Schaap Center will be a new destination for the arts in the region, further adding to Detroit’s place on the national cultural stage."

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