Detroit city officials have moved to restrict the Kronos concrete plant from expanding into a residential neighborhood after years of community opposition.
The City Planning Commission voted Oct. 22 to recommend rezoning the site from heavy to light industrial, which would exclude concrete facilities. The recommendation would allow the existing Kronos plant to continue operating but prevent further expansion. City Council will hold a public hearing on Nov. 19 to decide the rezoning.
Crown Enterprises, the Moroun family's real estate company that owns Kronos, has opposed the zoning change. A law firm representing Crown threatened legal action in September and October letters to city officials, arguing the rezoning would devalue the property. Crown's attorney, Melvin Butch Hollowell, said the city would be backtracking on its commitment to support Crown's development after the company swapped property in 2019 that enabled automaker Stellantis to open its first new car plant in Detroit in three decades.
Crown obtained more than 160 lots in Cadillac Heights through the city land deal and subsequent purchases from departing residents. A Crown spokesperson said the company has invested more than $10 million in the concrete operation based on the city's approvals and promised the company would make no improvements if zoning changes, claiming they would not be allowed under new restrictions. City planning staff disputed this assertion.
Residents have filed approximately 80 complaints to city and state environmental offices about dust and noise. They have described "literal whiteout conditions" from the facility. The city has issued tickets to Kronos for violating Detroit's fugitive dust ordinance passed in 2024.
Council member Scott Benson requested the planning evaluation in 2023, initially unrelated to Kronos but later influenced by community input about the proximity to the proposed Joe Louis Greenway, a walking and biking trail under construction.