Long-Vacant Art Deco High-Rise Being Restored in Detroit

A nearly century-old historic high-rise on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit is getting a new life after decades of vacancy, with work now begun on redeveloping the building as affordable housing for seniors

Lee Plaza, which first opened in the late 1920s as a luxury residential hotel, has sat vacant since 1997. Now, work is underway to bring affordable apartments for seniors to the building, with 117 units planned for an initial phase that the City of Detroit expects to be completed by the end of 2026. A second phase including up to 65 additional residential units is also planned, with financing for that phase being pursued by the restoration project’s development team

The Phase 1 redevelopment is expected to cost about $60 million, with financing coming from a combination of various public and private sources

The building was designed by architect Charles Noble, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981