Mayor Mike Duggan joined community developer MiSide Community Impact Network, along with state and local leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Campbell Street Apartments, a brand-new affordable housing development located on long-vacant land at 5800 Michigan Avenue. The development will provide the East Chadsey-Condon neighborhood with 39 units of deeply affordable housing in its first phase of construction.
The new $18M mixed-use development will offer a range of 1 to 3-bedroom units, 20 of which will be reserved for households with incomes up to 40% area median income (AMI), with the other 19 reserved for households with incomes up to 60% AMI. However, thanks to project-based housing vouchers from MSHDA as part of the development agreement, no resident will have to pay more than 30% their income on rent. An additional 40 units are planned for the second phase of this project, which is expected to be fully completed by the end of next year.
“The reason we don’t have tent cities here in Detroit is because we work so hard to create and preserve affordable housing and meet Detroiters where they are,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “We’re excited for this project to take shape here along Michigan Avenue and thank MiSide for their continued commitment to Detroit.”
Campbell Street Apartments will offer lower-income households the opportunity to take advantage of the significant employment and community benefits stemming from continued investment in Corktown and its surrounding neighborhoods. The project is located on long-vacant land in the East Chadsey-Condon neighborhood, which is home to a new, one-acre community park, boasts three successful schools just blocks away, easy access to public transportation, stellar neighborhood grocery stores, and many other walkable amenities, including local and national retailers.
Additionally, the building next door to the development is also owned and operated by MiSide (formerly Southwest Solutions) and houses a variety of community service non-profits including Southwest Solutions administrative offices, Southwest Counseling Solutions Juvenile Justice and Child and Family Service division, Life Directions, Mom’s and Babes WIC office and Covenant Community Care Federally Qualified Health Clinic.
“The Campbell Street Apartments housing development is a beacon of positivity for the East Chadsey-Condon neighborhood and its development allows us to directly impact the community we’ve called home for decades by providing those living here with direct access to our crucial supportive services, “said Sean de Four, President and CEO of MiSide Community Impact Network. “We’re delighted for the opportunity to work alongside the City of Detroit to bring more affordable housing options to the region.”
Each unit will come with amenities such as kitchens with quartz countertops, stainless steel, double-bowl sinks, and hardwood floors. The building will also feature a community center, complete with a kitchen and entertainment area, as well as laundry facilities. There will also be 50 on-site gated parking spaces for residents, and access to additional gated off-site parking.
Lydia Gutierrez, owner of Hacienda Mexican Foods, spoke about the importance of rebuilding our community together. “Hacienda manufacturers 313 Tortilla Chips and that happens a stone’s throw away from this project. We employ more than 70 residents of this community and what we’re doing here is [celebrating] more than a building; it’s really creating an environment for more things to happen, for better things to happen. I look forward to our employees being able to be residents here and to be able to walk to work. This project is not just about today. It’s about the future.”
The project’s affordability is thanks in large part to Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and more than $14.6M in additional mortgage, gap, and construction loan financing from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). Additionally, thanks to project-based vouchers, no residents will have to pay more than 30% of their income on rent.
“All Detroiters should have a quality home that meets their needs, close to jobs and amenities they need to be successful,” said MSHDA Executive Director Amy Hovey. “There is a shortage of affordable housing for working families here, and MSHDA’s investment in Campbell Street Apartments shows our commitment to helping address it.”
“I am excited and grateful to see this project break ground today, which will bring 40 needed and newly constructed affordable housing units to District 6,” said Detroit City Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero in a statement. “The location of this project is ideal, as it sits on a main DDOT bus route, is surrounded by several primary schools, a block away from a health care center, and across the street from a grocery store. I am hopeful that the individuals and families who will call this building home will thrive.”
Additionally, the project was awarded a $1.35M grant from Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to clean up contaminated soil on the property prior to development.
“Making formerly contaminated properties safe for reuse, and back on the tax rolls is always a big win,” said Carrie Geyer, manager of EGLE’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program. “It is thrilling for our EGLE staff to see a project like this come to fruition and become a community asset for Detroiters.”
The Detroit Housing and Revitalization Department’s Detroit Home Connect offers a central website for residents to explore affordable housing options across the city. Families can see developments that are under construction, search for properties by city regions, and learn how to apply for affordable housing. Those resources can be found at homeconnect.detroitmi.gov.
