DETROIT — The Community Builders has broken ground on Phase I of Preserve on Ash, which will consist of a 69-unit mixed-income housing development in Detroit. The new development marks the first groundbreaking for what will ultimately comprise nearly 600 new and preserved units of affordable housing in the greater Corktown area made possible thanks to a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods grant that the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development awarded to the city in 2021. The city had sought the grant anticipating the rising rents that would be coming to Corktown as a result of Ford’s revitalization of Michigan Central Station.
Preserve on Ash Phase I will include five buildings and more than 5,800 square feet of retail space. Of the 69 units, 48 will be reserved for those who earn up to 60 percent of the area median income. Phases II and III of Preserve on Ash are expected to begin construction next year.