Dreamtroit is the historic redevelopment of the 3.8-acre former Lincoln Motor Company headquarters, located in the New Center neighborhood of Detroit. The building originally opened in 1908 but had fallen into disrepair. It was purchased by one of the development partners in 1998 with a vision to create an affordable live-work space for Detroit’s creative class. The rehabilitated facility now includes 81 mixed-income apartments and 38,000 square feet of commercial space that serves several existing businesses, including the City of Detroit’s only recycling center, and offers an entertainment venue, art studio, retail, and office space.

The project is providing a unique mix of housing to achieve affordability and to suit the needs of the creative class the project is striving to support. Innovative mixed-use developments like Dreamtroit are in high demand because they provide affordable living options near places of employment, retail, and social gathering spaces. The increase in residential space will play a critical role in reestablishing vibrancy in the neighborhood.

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The total development cost for the project was $34M with Michigan Community Capital providing $16M in NMTC allocation, LISC DHFF provided a $2.3 million construction loan, along with Invest Detroit, IFF, and CIP to completely rehab a warehouse and adjoining parcels to create a multi-purpose live/work space and house future office/commercial space for a co-working market.