Detroit Kingsley Arms and Lee Arden apartments celebrate grand opening after renovations

Kingsley Arms and Lee Arden apartments grand opening

Some apartment buildings in Detroit that were decrepit and full of blight are getting a second chance to be called home. They?re part of an effort to revitalize the neighborhood and provide affordable housing to those who need it most.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - It's a comeback story for a historic Detroit apartment building that many may have felt had seen its heyday. 

However, Metro Detroit developers saw things differently, and now those buildings have been revitalized to provide affordable housing in Detroit.

"These were built almost 100 years ago now and deserve to have a second wind. It’s a long time coming after four-plus years of working to redevelop a number of buildings," said Devon Caldwell with Hazelwood Partners LLC.

The backstory:

The Kingsley Arms and Lee Arden apartments were decrepit and full of blight and are getting a second chance to be called home. They were part of an effort to revitalize the neighborhood and provide affordable housing to those who need it most.

"We have retained a number of the units that are mandated affordable at 60% or lower AMI," Caldwell said.

These apartment buildings are located in one of the city’s historic neighborhoods, and developers took great care to maintain their character.

"Our team takes great pride in drawing up the historic character of the buildings and saving as much as we can," said Caldwell.

What's next:

City officials say that with the completion of these buildings, an entire block has been transformed for the better. 

Pumping life back into apartment buildings that still have purpose is a model that can help eliminate blight and keep housing affordable in the city.

"It allows us to really see what's possible when you put a little bit of ingenuity and a little bit of capital together along with a lot of community engagement to really create affordable housing that can service all residents of Detroit," said LISC Detroit Executive Director Rob Locket.