Committee advances rezoning for 105-unit affordable housing project on Duane Street

Detroit — The Planning & Economic Development Standing Committee on March 26 advanced a rezoning request that would change 4094 Duane Street from R-2 (two-family) to SD1 (small-scale mixed use), clearing the way for two coordinated affordable housing developments totaling 105 units.

CPC staff and the project team presented site context, design and financing details. "This site is in City Council District 5," said Eric Fazini, CPC staff, describing the Nardin Park neighborhood setting and prior school use. Developer Graham Welling of Wallach Development said the proposal includes a 53-unit family component (townhome-style buildings) and a 52-unit senior building managed by Presbyterian Villages of Michigan.

Why it matters: The rezoning would enable a mixed-use, affordable project on a city-owned parcel that has been vacant since the former Alice Burney Elementary School was demolished in 2016. Developers proposed on-site amenities, a greenway connection, an 850-square-foot ground-floor community/commercial space and design choices intended to lower parking and stormwater impacts.

The developers said the project would be financed in part by competitive 9% low-income housing tax credits administered by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and by project-based vouchers. "We have applied for tax credits and with some changes and especially the award of the project-based vouchers, these developments are primed to be very competitive," Welling said. The family project already has eight project-based Section 8 vouchers; the senior project’s voucher awards were pending at the time of the hearing.

Key numbers and commitments presented to the committee: total of 105 units (53 family, 52 senior); unit mix for the family side of 13 one-bedroom, 28 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom units on the south half; senior-unit bedroom counts and layouts tailored to independent-living models; rents targeted at 30%–60% of area median income; unit sizes roughly 700–900 sq ft for senior one- and two-bedroom units and approximately 800–1,300 sq ft for family units; parking ratios of 0.75 spaces per senior unit and roughly 1 space per family unit; and a 45-year deed-restricted affordability period monitored by the state.

Public comment and design details: Virtual commenters asked about square footage, whether rents would raise neighborhood AMIs, stormwater capture and accessibility for residents with hearing or vision impairments. Developers said stormwater retention under the parking lot is planned; graywater recycling was not part of the current plan. The team said accessible design features would include zero-step entries for the senior building, elevators and a proportion of fully accessible units; 2% of units would be designated for hearing- and vision-impaired residents under HUD Section 504 standards.

Committee action and next steps: After the presentation and public comment, the committee voted to send the rezoning item to formal with a recommendation to approve (no objections noted). If the rezoning clears the council and the project secures tax credits and remaining financing, the team said they would aim for a spring 2027 closing, roughly 18 months of construction and full occupancy by 2029.

Speakers quoted in this article are members of the committee and the project team; direct quotations are taken from the hearing record.