Plans underway for Detroit Chinatown revitalization project

DETROIT (FOX 2) - It’s been rumored for years but now, pen has been put to paper. Detroit’s historic Chinatown is coming back.

The backstory:

Lisa Yee-Litzenberg is a member of Detroit Chinatown Vision Committee.

"This has been a long time coming. We’re very excited to see the results of Midtown Inc.’s work and Smith Group in designing the revitalized Chinatown streetscape," she said.

In just a few short years, Peterboro Street will look a lot different. Detroit's legendary Chinatown is being revitalized - brick by brick.

"We envision restaurants of course from many different Asian groups but also we would like to preserve history," said Yee-Litzenberg. "So we have a vision to have one day an Asian-American History Museum."

Midtown Detroit Inc. unveiled its final renderings Monday with traditional stores, tea shops, boba tea cafes and bookstores.

At Detroit Shipping Company on Peterboro, the presentation not only showing what it'll look like in the future, but what it looked like in the past.

Lisa Yee-Litzenberg with the Detroit Chinatown Vision Committee was pleased with what she saw.

"My dad used to be the unofficial mayor of Detroit’s Chinatown for many years in the ‘60s and ‘70s," she said. "I grew up working in one of the restaurants right here in Chinatown, ‘Forbidden City,’ which was on 2nd Avenue between Peterboro and Charlotte Street.

"We were underneath the Seville Hotel. So I have fond memories growing up, rolling a lot of egg rolls and serving a lot of the customers."

State Senator Stephanie Chang (D-District 3) says the goal is to not only honor the city's Chinese and Asian history - but to add to the vibrancy developing in the area right now.

"We know that so many people enjoy coming to this area to explore what’s happening in Midtown," she said. "So, to be able to actually improve this block in particular, will be a huge part of making that happen."

In 2024, Chang secured a $1-million dollar grant for the streetscape project, which got the ball rolling.

Now, she and others can't wait to open it to the public in fall 2027.

"So to see all of this coming together right now is really exciting," Chang said. "But I hope that you know, my daughters, I hope that they will be able to one day come here and see and really feel the history coming to life."

Again you’ll be able to see the new revitalized project which is scheduled to be completed by fall 2027.

This year they’re going to be doing lots of fundraising, including the block party. For more info and to get a closer look at those renderings go HERE.