Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects to be redeveloped

700 rental and for-sale units to be developed

DETROIT – The Detroit Housing Commission voted Monday to sell the 18-acre former Frederick Douglass public housing site for $23 million to developer Bedrock.

The deal is subject to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approval. 

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Bedrock intends to form a partnership with a national mixed-income housing developer and a local affordable housing developer to be named later. More than 700 units of rental and for-sale housing units will be developed on the site.

Bedrock plans to develop up to 3,500 residential units in Detroit over the next few years. 

For the Brewster-Douglass site redevelopment, Bedrock has agreed that over 20 percent of the total units will be affordable housing, and has also agreed to offer many of the new units to households earning as little as 30 percent area median income, or about $14,500 per year.

“The Housing Commission looks forward to achieving the goal of both creating additional affordable housing in the greater downtown consistent with last year's Douglass Transformation Plan and generating resources to be used to improve our existing housing stock, support our current residents and improve the neighborhoods. Using gains in one area of the city to support needs in other areas of the city is what we've all been working to accomplish,” said Richard Hosey, chairman of the Detroit Housing Commission board.  

Proceeds from the sale will be invested in resident services across the DHC’s existing housing portfolio and at the Douglass-adjacent Brewster Homes and renovations of DHC properties.