Special Projects

The Historic Designation Advisory Board (HDAB) serves as the coordinating agency for the City of Detroit's Certified Local Government (CLG) Program. The CLG program is a preservation partnership between local, state and national governments focused on promoting historic preservation at the grassroots level. The program is jointly administered by the National Park Service (NPS) and the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

HDAB is currently managing the following grants:

Cass Corridor Intensive-Level Survey

The Cass Corridor uniquely reflects Detroit's growth through its various stages of development; from the early wave of industrial leaders who constructed their showcase homes in the area, to later manufacturing centers, one of the earliest clusters of multifamily apartment buildings, waves of immigration of multiple communities, and the concentration of the city's counterculture movement in the 1960s. This project will identify and evaluate significant historic properties and districts with regards to their eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. The historic context statement will cover the historic and architectural significance of the Cass Corridor with particular emphasis on ethnic and cultural heritage as well as Mid-Century Modern resources. 

To sign up for updates on the project, please click here to complete a short survey.

Eight Mile/Wyoming Intensive-Level Survey

The Eight Mile/Wyoming area is the oldest Black neighborhood in northwest Detroit where approximately 1,000 African Americans settled and purchased land from 1900-1920. As a unique capsule in time from the Great Migration period in the city's development, this project will identify and evaluate significant historic properties and districts with regards to their eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. The historic context statement will cover the historic and architectural significance of the Eight Mile/Wyoming neighborhood with particular emphasis on ethnic heritage and the civil rights movement. 

To sign up for updates on the project, please click here to complete a short survey.

Fort Wayne Stabilization & Mothballing Plan

In partnership with the General Services Department (GSD), this project will prepare a specialized stabilization and mothballing plan for 26 unoccupied buildings in the Historic Fort Wayne complex to identify areas of imminent structural failure and provide detailed specifications and cost estimates for stabilization. The plan will also develop a ten year maintenance and monitoring plan, in alignment with the ongoing Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Planning Process. 

Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Floor Restoration 

In partnership with the Model-T Automotive Heritage Complex, Inc., this project will repair the floor decking and beams in two sections of the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, the birthplace of the Ford Model T car, in the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood. One of the most significant automotive heritage sites in the world, the plant is currently listed as a U.S. National Historic Landmark.

For more information about any of the grant projects listed above, please email [email protected] or call (313) 224-3487.