Brewster-Douglass site to get $300M development with 913 housing units
JC Reindl
The now-vacant site of Detroit's old Brewster-Douglass public housing towers would be transformed into a $300 million-plus residential development of 913 apartments, condos and townhouses for people of all income levels under a plan put forth by businessman Dan Gilbert's real estate firm.
A representative for the Bedrock firm confirmed the general outline of the plan on Thursday. The project was first reported in detail by business tabloid Crain's Detroit.
The plan, including the sale of 22 acres of city-owned land for $23 million, is still subject to approval by Detroit City Council and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Crain's reported.
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Roughly a quarter of the rental apartments would be set aside at lower rents for those making 80 percent or less of the area median income.
The Brewster-Douglass site is situated along I-75, just north of downtown, and has been vacant since 2014, when demolition crews finished razing the last of its four 15-story brick towers.
Brewster-Douglass was once home to famous Detroiters, including Motown's Diana Ross, before the towers emptied out in 2008. The housing project also was mentioned in the 1993 hit song "Supermodel" by drag performer RuPaul.
