The city is expected to file a plan with the bankruptcy court by Feb. 17. After that, creditors will file any objections. Detroit’s bankruptcy judge, Steven Rhodes, must eventually decide whether the plan is fair and equitable.

Creditors slated to get smaller recoveries were said to be considering their legal options. The bankruptcy judge, mediators and other officials shepherding Detroit through its bankruptcy case have repeatedly urged the parties to reach out-of-court settlements and avoid litigation. The city has more than 100,000 creditors, and there are fears that the city might become hopelessly bogged down if a string of protracted lawsuits is started.

The people briefed on the plan said it contained a “base scenario” in which cash and notes worth $4.2 billion would be divided among the unsecured creditors. Retirees would get cash worth roughly 50 percent of their claims over time, while holders of debt issued in 2005 to shore up the pension system would get about 10 percent.

The city also described a second possible way in which additional money might be available through a lease of Detroit’s water and sewer system. If that deal is completed, the city would propose giving all unsecured creditors an additional 3 percent of their claims, but some would still receive more than others.

Some of the money for the retirees’ claims is proposed to come from an arrangement being struck with philanthropic organizations in Michigan, which would give roughly $350 million to the Detroit Institute of Art. Their donations are expected to be matched dollar for dollar by the State of Michigan.