Construction is set to start on Dr. Violet T. Lewis Village, an affordable senior living community in Detroit, according to a news release.
The community will comprise 105 independent living studio and one- and two-bedroom units. Affordable housing developer Wallick Communities (New Albany, Ohio) and faith-based senior community developer Presbyterian Villages of Michigan (Southfield, Mich.) are co-developers on the $29.3 million project.
As part of the project, two existing, historic buildings will be redeveloped, and a new four-story building will be constructed on the former site of Lewis College of Business, Michigan’s only historically black college and university (HCBU), which closed in 2013. The community is named in honor of the college’s founder.
Restoration of the two existing structures will include green energy upgrades, enhanced safety elements such as egress windows and community lighting, and a contemporary design to integrate with the new construction.
Construction is estimated to take 16 months to complete and the community is tentatively scheduled to open by late 2025 or early 2026.
Read more about converting former schools to senior living communities here.
