Michael G. Kelly favors sweatshirts to suits, drives a Ford F-150 and filed for bankruptcy about a year ago claiming he had only $431 in his checking account.

He also controls more Detroit properties than any other private landowner.

Williams called Kelly a “scavenger” who preys on the “carrion” of Detroit, but the city soon may have no choice but to do business with him and other speculators. Kelly’s companies have land in every corner, uniquely positioning him to be a player — or impediment — that could drive up the price of land in Mayor Dave Bing’s Detroit Works Project to reshape the city.