DETROIT — The Detroit City Council has approved a development agreement for Bedrock and Woodborn Partners to develop a mixed-income residential development on the former Frederick Douglass public housing site. The 22-acre property has been vacant since public housing structures were demolished in 2014.
Bedrock has selected architectural firm Rossetti to create the master plan for the $300 million project.
The proposed neighborhood will consist of 913 housing units for rent and for sale, spread across six residential styles including townhomes, carriage homes, duplettes, flats, walk-ups and apartments. Other plans call for more than three acres of open parks and courtyard space, 19,000 square feet of retail space, more than 1,100 parking spaces, an early childhood education center and a 80-room hotel.
Affordable housing developer Jonathan Rose Cos. will advise on the development of the affordable housing component of the project. Approximately 25 percent of the rental units will be designated as affordable.
Proceeds from the $23 million sale of the site will enable the Detroit Housing Commission to invest in preservation and renovation of other affordable housing units throughout the city. Over the next several years, Bedrock plans to develop up to 3,500 residential rental units in Detroit. The developer’s affordable housing agreement with the City of Detroit states that one out of every five, or 20 percent, of those units will be affordable housing for households who earn up to 80 percent of the area median income.