Residents have started moving into two renovated apartment buildings on Henry Street in Detroit's Cass Park neighborhood, marking the first completed phase of an $80 million redevelopment that will eventually turn seven historic structures near Little Caesars Arena into 170 homes. The first tenants are settling into Bretton Hall at 439 Henry St. and The Claridge at 459 Henry St., alongside a newly opened community center, according to MLive.
The project, a partnership between Olympia Development of Michigan and Cinnaire Solutions, broke ground in a formal ceremony on August 28, 2024, with Mayor Mike Duggan and officials from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority in attendance, according to Cinnaire. MSHDA supported the redevelopment with low-income housing tax credit allocations, the organization notes, helping bridge the gap needed to restore buildings that had sat dormant for years. MLive reports the project also drew on federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, HOME funds, Michigan Community Revitalization Program assistance, and roughly $12 million in additional state and local gap financing, layered atop private investment, conventional financing, and historic preservation tax credits.
Four More Buildings Still Under Construction
Four additional residential buildings remain under construction and are expected to open by summer 2027, per MLive. The Berwin at 489 Henry St. and The Atlanta at 2467 Cass Ave. are both targeted for a March 2027 opening, while Henry Flats at 427 Henry St. is expected to follow in April and The Grande at 2447 Cass Ave. in May 2027. Once finished, the development will include 170 studio and one-bedroom apartments across six residential buildings plus the community center.
Keith Bradford, president of Olympia Development, said restoring the buildings required sustained coordination among public agencies, developers and financing partners, according to MLive. Chris Ilitch, CEO of Ilitch Companies, said his family has invested in Detroit for nearly 40 years and called Henry Street the latest chapter in that commitment, per the same report. The Ilitch organization has invested more than $2.3 billion across 22 developments in Detroit, MLive notes.
Nearly Half the Units Will Be Income-Restricted
Of the 170 total apartments, 49% are reserved for households earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income, according to MLive. Affordable studios start at $550 per month, while affordable one-bedroom units begin at $589 per month for households at 30% of area median income. Other income-restricted studios range from $734 to $1,101 per month, and comparable one-bedroom units run from $786 to $1,179 per month. Market-rate apartments are not yet available for leasing, and pricing for those units has not been announced.
Mayor Mary Sheffield said the project expands housing choices for residents at different income levels, MLive reports. Detroit City Council President James Tate also commented on the opening, according to the outlet. Sheffield previously scrutinized public subsidies for Ilitch family projects — in March 2023, she cast the sole dissenting vote on Detroit City Council as it approved $616 million in Transformational Brownfield tax incentives over 35 years for a broader $1.5 billion District Detroit expansion, citing concerns over job guarantees, according to a Detroit Free Press report shared by CBS Detroit.
From Demolition Threat to Preserved City Block
The buildings' survival traces back to a preservation fight nearly a decade ago. Detroit City Council established the Cass-Henry Historic District in July 2018 after advocacy groups opposed proposed demolitions of historic structures on the block, including the former Atlanta Apartments and Hotel Ansonia, according to Outlier Media. MLive confirms that historic district protections approved in 2018 helped preserve the Henry Street buildings that are reopening now.
The Berwin, The Atlanta, and Bretton Hall were built between 1915 and 1916 as apartment hotels designed for short-term stays in the Cass Corridor. Henry Flats, built in 1900 in the Federal Colonial Revival style, is the oldest structure on the block and will contain six half-floor residences, per the Henry Street Apartments project. The six residential buildings were constructed between 1900 and 1922 and underwent renovations that preserved their historic character while adding modern amenities, MLive reports.
A Former Bowling Alley Becomes the Neighborhood Hub
The community center anchoring the project, Ralston Commons, sits in a 9,000-square-foot building that formerly housed a bowling alley, according to MLive. It now functions as a centralized amenity center and leasing office, featuring a fitness center, resident lounge, meeting rooms, a dog wash station, and package and mail facilities, per MLive. Ralston Commons is expected to offer neighborhood programming through partnerships with Cass Technical High School, Fifth Third Bank, SER Metro-Detroit, and the Detroit Area Agency on Aging, with planned offerings including student artwork displays, financial literacy education, youth workforce training, and health and wellness programs.
Other Residential Projects
Henry Street is among residential projects in the Ilitch organization's District Detroit portfolio. The Eddystone apartments have also undergone restoration.
Olympia Development has separately moved to stabilize three other historic apartment buildings — the Manhattan, Altadena, and Cromwell — in the Cass Park Historic District, Hoodline reported in September.
