Construction set to start this spring on 32-unit lofts in Corktown hotel

Work will start this spring on Roosevelt Place Lofts on the corner of Michigan and 14^th, developer Mark Wilcox says. He is turning the 1920 four-story former Roosevelt Hotel in Corktown into 32 loft units, which would be available early next year.

“We have been working on this project for five years to offer market rate condominiums with some historic restoration character,” says developer Marx Wilcox. “We really believe in the area becoming Detroit’s SoHo, just look at the success of Slow’s Bar BQ across the street.”

Restaurateur John Lopez, owner of Twingo’s in Midtown and a Corktown resident, plans to open a restaurant and bar on the first floor of Roosevelt Place.

The former hotel requires a complete gutting of the interior to accommodate the new residential units. Keeping with the building’s historic charm, the main lobby will be returned to its original configuration with repaired plaster walls and decorative ceiling moldings.

Units will have one and two bedrooms with exposed brick finishes at the perimeter walls, all new energy efficient infrastructure, and porcelain tiles in the kitchens and bathrooms and as flooring in some areas. Sizes will range from 900 to 1,300 square feet, starting at $123,000.

In addition to the Grinnell Place Lofts group, Hajek & Wilcox, Kerry Ruscoe and O'Connor Real Estate and Development are development partners for the project. The architect for Roosevelt Place is BVH Architecture, a Corktown-based company with experience in historic rehabs.

Source: Mark Wilcox, developer Roosevelt Place Lofts