SecondBloom to sell Detroit vertical farm in sealed-bid auction

SecondBloom Auctions is offering Planted Detroit’s 37,637-square-foot indoor farm and food-processing campus in Detroit’s East Industrial corridor as a single sealed-bid package. Bids are due Nov. 16, 2026, as the operator winds down and buyers weigh a turnkey asset that would be costly to recreate.

Why it matters: - The sale offers a rare turnkey entry into controlled-environment agriculture in Michigan’s largest vertical farm. - The package combines real estate, equipment and food-processing infrastructure in one transaction, which can shorten startup time for buyers. - The campus could appeal to CEA operators, food processors and other industrial users looking for a ready-made facility.

What happened: - SecondBloom Auctions announced a sealed-bid sale for the Planted Detroit campus at 6301 E. Lafayette Street and 1050 Mt. Elliott Street in Detroit’s East Industrial corridor. - The offering includes two renovated industrial buildings totaling 37,637 square feet on 1.49 acres. - The property is being sold as one package with a complete controlled-environment agriculture and food-processing plant. - Planted Detroit began operations in 2018 and grew into Michigan’s largest vertical farm. - Planted Detroit is winding down operations in November 2026.

The details: - The campus added about $16.9 million in gross assets between 2019 and 2023. - Improvements include two Planted Automated Racking Systems (PARS) nutrient film technique growing systems. - The asset list also includes 98 Pipp Horticulture mobile vertical grow racks, a full nursery, a harvest room and food-grade processing space. - The facility has cold storage, grow-room HVAC and standby generation. - The site holds USDA Harmonized GAP Plus+ certification. - The growing canopy covers about 28,000 square feet. - The real estate includes two sprinklered buildings with clear heights up to 22 feet. - The campus has direct access to I-75 and I-375. - The five parcels are zoned M2 Restricted and M3 General Industrial, which permit food processing, manufacturing, warehousing and laboratory uses by right. - The property sits in Opportunity Zone census tract 5164.

Between the lines: - The auction is being pitched as a shortcut around the long lead times and high capital costs of building a vertical farm from scratch. - SecondBloom Auctions said the automated PARS systems, irrigation, lighting and food-grade processing space would cost many multiples of the real estate value to replicate. - The sealed-bid format suggests the seller is targeting buyers who can move quickly and value the asset as an operating platform rather than just a building.

What's next: - The bid package is available now. - Sealed bids for the complete package are due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 16, 2026. - An award is expected on Nov. 20. - Qualified bidders can access a data room after signing a confidentiality agreement. - The data room includes the ALTA survey, environmental reports, equipment proposals and drawings. - Site inspections are available by appointment through Nov. 13. - More information is available at the bid package and inspection page or by calling Blake Lange at (312) 497-6522.

The bottom line: - SecondBloom is selling a fully equipped Detroit vertical farm as a single asset, giving buyers a rare chance to acquire an operating indoor agriculture campus without building one from the ground up.