RENDERINGS: 335 New Housing Units Are Part Of New $77 Million Plan For Former Wigle Recreation Center Site

Breaking ground in fall of 2018, developers will spend $77 million to bring 335 new residential units, 8000 square feet of retail space and one acre of public open space to the seven-acre site of the former Wigle Recreation Center.

“I don’t believe what I’m seeing. It’s amazing how this neighborhood is coming back,” said Mayor Mike Duggan at the announcement.

This will be the first residential project under the new Community Benefits Agreement, and 20 percent of the rental units will be set aside for low-income residents.

The developers of the land at the Lodge and Selden streets are PDH Development Group, which is a partnership between Detroit-based developer Roderick Hardamon and New York-based developer Mario Procida. PDH will purchase the land from the City for $1.8 million.

As part of the project agreement, 51 percent of the hours worked on the project must be by Detroit residents. There will be 200 temporary construction jobs and 11 ongoing jobs at the site.

175 of the units will be rental with 35 set aside for affordable housing, defined as 80 percent or less of the area’s median income. 160 residences will be for sale at “market rates.”

Midtown West will be a two phase project. According to officials, Phase I will include 167 of the 335 proposed new residential units. Phase I also includes the construction of 8000 square feet of new rental space and one acre public open space.

The street grid will also be changed to accommodate the development. 4th Street will be reopened from Selden to Brainard and the rebuilding of Tuscola from 3rd Street to the Lodge access road.

Phase II will see the completion of the residential units and more commercial space.

Although a kickoff date was given, a target project completion date was not.

The site has been serving as an ad-hoc skate park, and before the city announced they were going to develop the land a crowdfunding campaign was started to build the skate park out.