December 13, 2013 --

Tucked into Midtown's Inc's latest newsletter was a nugget of really, really good news:
"Cass Corridor Neighborhood Development Corporation will begin historic renovations on their Cass Plaza project at the first of the year. 3550 Cass and 149 Davenport will be restored to 47 units of affordable rental housing. The units are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2015 and one of the buildings will include a coffee shop on the first floor."
That's huge! Two separate buildings are headed for renovation: Cass Plaza and The Davenport, which basically means a restoration of the entire NE corner of MLK and Cass. Here's how Midtown is starting up 2014.

Cass Plaza

You probably know Cass Plaza as the blighted tower that dominates the corner of Cass Avenue and MLK. Many of us were alarmed when its facade got a surprise exfoliation in 2012, which removed a big patch of brick. According to the Cass Corridor Neighborhood Development Corporation (CCNDC), that building will enjoy a gut rehab and see its historic facade restored. The CCNDC estimates that project will finish up in February of 2015, bringing 39 new apartments and a coffee shop to one of Midtown's lonelier corners.

The Davenport
Just behind Cass Plaza on Davenport Street, this little apartment building was constructed in 1905 as a classy residence for Detroit's upper middle class. It's in worse condition than many of the Cass Corridor's abandoned residential buildings, and vandals have taken a heavy toll in the last 5 years or so. The history of this one is pretty cloudy, but the CCNDC tells us that the building will contain just 8 units when finished in October of next year.