• Redevelopment of the former Lewis College of Business site – Michigan’s only Historically Black College and University (HBCU)

Mayor Mike Duggan, City Council Member Angela Whitfield Calloway (District 2), State Representative Regina Weiss (District 5), and other City and State officials joined Dr. Violet Ponders, granddaughter of college founder Dr. Violet T. Lewis; Amy Albery, CEO, Wallick, the owner-developer; Roger Myers, CEO, and Board of Directors Chair Reverend Dr. Louis J. Prues of Presbyterian Villages of Michigan (PVM); and other partners today to mark the grand opening of the $29.3 million Dr. Violet T. Lewis Village affordable senior apartment community.  Dr. Violet T. Lewis Village is located on the site of the former Lewis College of Business, Michigan’s only Historically Black College and University (HBCU), at 17370 Meyers Road in Detroit.

“This site has such a deep history in our city, being the location of Michigan's only HBCU for many years,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “I'm so glad that Presbyterian Villages has preserved Violet Lewis' legacy as part of this beautiful new community that is providing more than 100 affordable apartments for our seniors.”

This development is honoring the past while building the future by renovating two historic structures on the Lewis College of Business site and constructing a new four-story building. Construction began in spring 2024. The project was co-developed by Wallick of New Albany, Ohio, and Southfield-based Presbyterian Villages of Michigan (PVM).

Funding for the project is provided in large part through competitive federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits allocated by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), with critical gap funding from MSHDA, the City of Detroit – HOME and American Rescue Plan Act funds, The Kresge Foundation, Merchants Capital Security Bank, First Merchants Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis.

“With the completion of Dr. Violet T. Lewis Village, there will be 105 new and affordable homes for seniors in Detroit,” said Wallick CEO Amy Albery. “Wallick is committed to providing people of all incomes safe and stable housing as they age.”

“The Dr. Violet T. Lewis Village represents an important and historic expansion of our services to seniors in Detroit that began almost 30 years ago, with the opening of The Village of Bethany Manor in the Virginia Park neighborhood. We are pleased to be partnering with Wallick Communities in their first development in the City of Detroit, with more to come.” said Roger Myers, PVM’s President & CEO.

Dr. Violet T. Lewis Village is 100% affordable, with apartment rents ranging from 30% to 80% of area median income (AMI). Rents are determined by income and range from $427 to $983 a month. The units are income-restricted and for those making $20,160 to $69,120 a year.

Specifically, rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the new construction building ranges from $783 to $840, and rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $983. The AMI income restriction for the new build apartments is 60% of AMI, $40,320 a year.

In the adaptive reuse buildings, rent for a one-bedroom apartment ranges from $427 to $786, and for a two-bedroom apartment, from $723 to $939. The AMI income restriction for the adaptive reuse buildings ranges from 30% to 80%, or $20,160 to $69,120 a year. Additionally, there are five project-based voucher apartments in the adaptive reuse buildings, which target people with even lower incomes.

Dr. Violet T. Lewis Village features a range of modern amenities, including a fitness area, community space, on-site property management, and computer space. Apartment homes include Energy Star-rated appliances and ceiling fans, window treatments, luxury vinyl flooring and patios or balconies.

Much of the financing for Dr. Violet T. Lewis Village is from Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). This federal program provides tax incentives to enable developers to build or rehabilitate apartments in exchange for a commitment to keep them affordable to lower-income residents. It is the nation’s most successful tool for encouraging private investment that preserves and expands affordable rental housing, including the preservation or construction of more than 119,000 affordable homes across Michigan.

Learn more or fill out an application by calling (313) 270-9150 or at pvm.org/locations/dr-violet-t-lewis-village/.

About Lewis College of Business 

The school was founded in 1928 by Dr. Violet T. Lewis as the Lewis Business College in Indiana. It was later reorganized as the Lewis College of Business. Due to segregation laws at the time, private and post-secondary schools didn’t accept African-American students. The Detroit branch of the school was opened in 1939 on Ferry Street and John R and expanded to over 300 daily students through the 1940s and 1950s. The college offered courses in typewriting, bookkeeping, stenography, penmanship, and office management. In 1976, the college moved to this campus on Meyers Road – a location that had previously been home to the Detroit Bible Institute, which opened the buildings in 1950. Lewis College of Business was designated an HBCU by the U.S. Secretary of Education in 1987, making it the only HBCU in Michigan. The campus has sat vacant since the college closed in 2013.

About PVM

Presbyterian Villages of Michigan spans hundreds of miles from the beautiful shores of Harbor Springs’ resort community to the elegant and inviting skyline of Detroit. By offering a wide variety of residential living options and home-- and community based services, PVM embraces and engages more than 7,500 seniors of all faiths and financial needs in villages conveniently located throughout the state. PVM is proud to present Michigan seniors with a full spectrum of residential and care options including apartments (affordable and income-qualified), condominiums, cottages, assisted living, Alzheimer’s/memory support services, rehabilitation (Transitional Care Units), skilled nursing care, Green Houses®, as well as essential services like the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE Southeast Michigan)® and more.

About Wallick

Wallick (wallick.com) serves the affordable housing, workforce housing, and senior living markets. It has more than 1,100 associates across five business divisions: Development, Construction, Asset Management, Affordable Housing Operations, and Senior Living Operations. For nearly 60 years, the business has adhered to its founder Jack Wallick’s ideals of integrity and consistent quality. Led by CEO Amy Albery and guided by its Board of Directors, Wallick is an employee-owned company.