Duggan, Community Leaders Break Ground for $65M Development on Detroit’s Riverfront

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Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, along with business and community leaders, today broke ground on Orleans Landing, a $65 million residential and retail development on Detroit’s east riverfront. The project is expected to be completed in April 2017.

“Orleans Landing will reactivate a major piece of Detroit’s riverfront and create a new, vibrant community there,” Duggan says. “This investment is further proof that, increasingly, people are wanting to live in Detroit and be a part of its ongoing revitalization."

The nearly eight-acre development includes about 280 apartments and 10,500 square feet of retail space. Plans include one- and two-bedroom homes, flats, hybrid retail lofts, and 30 townhouses with garages. Affordable housing rates will be offered on 20 percent of the available residential units. The non-gated community will include a swimming pool, fitness center, community center, interior bicycle storage, and Pewabic tile on all of the letterings on the buildings.

Orleans Landing, located near the Detroit RiverWalk and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ recently opened $13-million Outdoor Adventure Center, is being developed by St. Louis-based McCormack Baron Salazar. The firm specializes in urban projects and affordable housing.

The public-private partnership has investors such as Goldman Sachs, Invest Detroit, The Kresge Foundation, and the City of Detroit, among others.

“As an early investor in this project, we are proud to partner with so many organizations that are deeply committed to this city,” says Margaret Anadu, managing director of the Urban Investment Group at Goldman Sachs. “Orleans Landing will meet the escalating demand for high-quality, mixed-income rental housing, create retail opportunities for small businesses, and create hundreds of jobs for Detroit.”

Detroit-based Hamilton Anderson Associates Inc. is the project’s architect, while Pittsburgh-based Urban Design Associates is the master planner. 

“This is a transformational project that will create a sense of place and serve as a catalyst to attract additional private investment, jobs, and residents to the City of Detroit,” says Steve Arwood, CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp.