Winter 2021
Downriver couple expand French-style eatery to Fisher Building
February 15th, 2021
Promenade Artisan Foods based in the downriver community of Trenton is making another grand march. Owners Chelsie and Jono Brymer will open a second location, offering its selection of pastries, lunches, grab-and-go dinners, and sandwiches, in the Fisher Building of Detroit’s New Center. Menu items include Promenade’s signature custardy quiche served with field greens and sea salt chocolate chip cookies. “We are so humbled to have the opportunity to serve in the city that we love and grateful for the chance to learn from this vibrant community,” Chelsie Brymer said.
Open ArticleDetroit artist Sydney James celebrates Black women, Detroit through her work
February 11th, 2021
“Malcolm X said the Black woman is the most oppressed person in this country, and that has not changed,” Detroit artist Sydney James said, standing in front of the 8,000 square-foot western wall of the Chroma building she and her team transformed this fall. When she was commissioned to create a mural to cover the empty wall, James referenced a familiar scene; Vermeer’s 17th-century oil on canvas “Girl With the Pearl Earring.” She used the iconic painting as a vehicle to tell a different story; one she said is not told often enough.
Open ArticleLuxury Detroit beauty salon celebrates groundbreaking
January 28th, 2021
“I just feel extremely blessed. I have put in a lot of hard work.” said Crème Brûlée owner, Katrina Wilson who is getting ready for the groundbreaking of her new luxury salon and spa in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood. She created this space to serve clients of all different races and ethnicities. The project was stalled for more than a year because of the pandemic but that didn’t stop her from pushing forward. Through her own hard work, talent and perseverance along with assistance from the city’s Motor City Match program her dreams are moving forward.
Open ArticleCrème Brûlée Salon to Open in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction Neighborhood
January 27th, 2021
Crème Brûlée, a multicultural salon, is slated to open this spring inside The Platform’s Baltimore Station development in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood. “We are committed to creating opportunity in Detroit’s neighborhoods,” says Peter Cummings, executive chairman and CEO of The Platform. “This stretch of Woodward is seeing an abundance of new life and investment, and more residents are discovering why the greater New Center area is such a compelling place to live. We look forward to Katrina opening her doors this spring and bringing this much-needed service to the neighborhood.”
Open ArticleFall 2020
Queen Lillian and The Platform Break Ground on $60M Mixed-Use Detroit Midtown Development
November 27th, 2020
Queen Lillian and The Platform announced recently that they broke ground on Woodward West, a $60 million, new construction mixed-use flagship development in Detroit’s Midtown neighborhood. Slated to open in summer 2022, the five-story development will create 204 apartments and nearly 25,000 square feet of ground-floor retail to Woodward Avenue and Stimson Place, just south of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Twenty percent of the apartments will be offered at below market rates as an affordable housing initiative (including utilities) for those with qualifying incomes which is 80 percent of the area median income.
Open Article$60M Apartment and Retail Project Coming to Detroit’s Midtown District
November 20th, 2020
Two Detroit-based developers, Queen Lillian and The Platform, have announced they have broken ground on Woodward West, a $60 million, mixed-use development in Detroit’s Midtown neighborhood. To transform one of the last large vacant parcels along Woodward in Midtown, Queen Lillian and The Platform have assembled a core project team of Detroit-based talent, including Hamilton Anderson Associates as architect and interior designer, Sachse Construction as general contractor, Skidmore Studio as brand strategist, Center City Properties as property manager; and Honigman as tax incentive consultant.
Open ArticleConstruction of new Woodward West residential, retail site underway in Detroit’s Midtown neighborhood
November 19th, 2020
Construction of Woodward West, a $60 million mixed-use development project, broke ground on Nov. 9 on Woodward Avenue at Stimson Street. Slated to open in the summer of 2022, the five-story structure plans to offer 204 apartments and 25,000 feet of retail space. The project’s Detroit-based developers — Queen Lillian and The Platform — say they have worked with members of the community to receive feedback on the project before finalizing its design. The companies also say they assembled a team to construct and manage the project that is largely comprised of Detroit- and Michigan-based talent and businesses.
Open ArticleWork begins on 204-unit Woodward West on long-vacant land in Midtown
November 19th, 2020
A large, long-vacant lot on prime real estate along Woodward in Midtown is about to be transformed into a five-story apartment building with ground-level retail. The Detroit-based developers, Queen Lillian and The Platform, announced Thursday that work has begun on the $60 million project called Woodward West, which is slated to include 204 apartments and nearly 25,000 square feet of ground level retail on Woodward at Stimson, just south of Martin Luther King Boulevard.
Open ArticleDetroit’s new Obama Building is an experiment in developing for the community
November 18th, 2020
Many Detroiters want new development — but they also want impactful, mission-driven projects that address their personal and neighborhoods’ needs. That often doesn’t happen. But it can: just look at a recent redevelopment in Detroit’s Old Redford neighborhood. Developers of the Obama Building took a unique approach to ensure it would serve residents, and in the process, baked in more community benefits than many projects in the city.
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$40M renovation project in TechTown pays homage to building’s Cadillac roots
November 13th, 2020
The installation of one of Detroit’s largest blade signs completed the final touches of a $40 million renovation project at a former Cadillac showroom Friday. The historic building, located at 6001 Cass Ave. and designed by legendary Detroit industrial architect Albert Kahn, is now home to Tata Technologies’ North American headquarters and collaborative workspace company WeWork. The renovation is one of many projects spearheaded by development company The Platform. The building is located in the heart of TechTown and is kitty-corner from the Pistons Performance Center.
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