A Detroit real estate firm plans to turn a 117-year-old former Cadillac assembly plant into 90 apartments.
The building was constructed in 1905, not long after a fire destroyed the original Cadillac plant on the same site, according to city documents. It was designed by George Mason, whose firm also designed Detroit’s Masonic Temple and the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in northern Michigan.
Greatwater Opportunity Capital purchased the building for $3.35 million in April and is asking the Historic District Commission for permission to remove some portions that were added later and aren’t deemed historic. The firm’s $27 million redevelopment plan also replaces the windows with contemporary but historically accurate ones.
Some of the demolition would begin in the spring, with the renovation starting in the summer, said Jed Howbert, co-founder of Greatwater. This is the company’s first attempt at turning an industrial building into residential, he said. Construction could take about 12 months depending on the building.
“We’re excited to preserve this important part of Detroit’s industrial heritage, and to make it possible for people to call it home,” Howbert said in an email. “We think 450 Amsterdam will combine the best elements of a historic renovation and new construction: the authenticity of the historic structure, plus the amenities of new construction.”