2nd phase of senior apartments planned in Detroit's east riverfront district

Posted on July 3, 2012

Presbyterian Villages of Michigan and United Methodist Retirement Communities announced Monday that they are planning a second phase of affordable senior apartments in Detroit’s east riverfront district.

In collaboration with Henry Ford Health System, the agencies said they would build a $7-million, 50-unit complex just east of the $27.5-million first phase construction under way.

The second phase will be funded in part by a $6.9-million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Construction is to begin in the first quarter of 2013, with an expected opening in the spring of 2014.

Eligible residents will be 62 or older who meet HUD’s low income requirements.

The initial phase, scheduled to open by the end of the year, includes an adaptive re-use of a former Parke Davis pharmaceutical building across from the UAW/GM Center for Human Resources, south of Jefferson Avenue.

For more than 65 years, PVM has served seniors of all faiths and now operates 25 senior living communities in Michigan, including now its seventh in the City of Detroit.

“Along with our partners, we are delivering the services and environments promised to the residents of Detroit,” said Roger Myers, president and CEO of PVM. “This Phase Two complements what is under construction in Phase One as Detroit’s senior population will expand by nearly 20% by 2035 and will be the only demographic group experiencing such growth over the next 25 years.”

By: John Gallagher, The Detroit Free Press