Mayor Duggan cuts ribbon on The Convent Detroit, a new SNF-funded arts and wellness center in Campau/Banglatown

2022

Mayor Duggan cuts ribbon on The Convent Detroit, a new SNF-funded arts and wellness center in Campau/Banglatown

  • Conversion of former church convent made possible by loans from Invest Detroit and a grant from the Strategic Neighborhood Fund.
  • The Convent will be home to a wide variety of health and wellness businesses.

DETROIT – Mayor Mike Duggan and Councilmember Scott Benson joined Invest Detroit, developers and the community today to officially open The Convent Detroit, a unique hub for health and wellness businesses in Detroit’s Campau/Banglatown neighborhood whose conversion was funded in part through the Strategic Neighborhood Fund (SNF). 

The Convent, at 13301 Mound Road, is the latest project from Paddy Lynch, the proprietor of The Schvitz Detroit. The redevelopment of the former Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth convent contains 20 private rooms across four floors. Despite just opening, the Convent is already near full capacity.  The list of tenants already includes three massage therapists, two estheticians, two reiki healers, a lymphatic specialist, a sound therapist, four painters, a photographer, a sculptor, a ceramicist, two arts nonprofits, and a group of women that will operate the Convent’s in-house Airbnb. The building’s former chapel will host special events, dinners, art openings, recitals and other community-based activities.  

“Reimagining this historic space for health- and art-related businesses is a continuation of our desire to improve the physical and mental well-being of Detroiters,” Lynch said. “We expect The Convent will take on multiple identities over time: part-incubator, wellness center, gallery, event space, and, ultimately, a community that supports and promotes the work of Detroit artists and healers.”

Invest Detroit provided a loan of $300,000 to purchase the property, and a $100,000 contribution from the Strategic Neighborhood Fund (SNF), a partnership between Invest Detroit and the City of Detroit focused on strengthening neighborhoods in 10 areas of the city to catalyze and ignite economic growth.

On Saturday, Nov. 5, The Convent Detroit will open its doors to the community for a grand opening that is free and open to the public. The opening will feature work by local artists, a live jazz trio, and a complimentary bar courtesy of Schvitz Detroit. The private art and wellness studios will be open for tours 5-7 p.m. For more information, go to conventdetroit.com.

“The Convent is a natural fit for my business, as the space has a sacred feel to it,” said Wendy Harmon, proprietor of Wellness with Wendy, a Black- and woman-owned studio offering massage therapy and esthetician and reiki services in the Convent Detroit.  “It’s a place where people can feel relaxed, relieve stress and focus on their emotional and physical well-being. This space is meaningful.”

SNF making a difference in Campau/Banglatown

The Campau/Banglatown neighborhood has already seen significant investment since the Strategic Neighborhood Fund was expanded to the area in 2018. Jayne Field underwent a $1.6 million renovation that added cricket and soccer fields, a splash pad for kids, new walking and biking paths and a new picnic pavilion. The $3.5 million Conant streetscape was completed in front of the park, making the street more welcoming and walkable to pedestrians and businesses. The Meade Cut-Through is going in now, creating a new spur that will link Campau/Banglatown to the new Joe Louis Greenway. Meanwhile, City teams continue to work with developers and nonprofits to move additional projects in the neighborhood closer to completion.

“The Strategic Neighborhood Fund is proving to be a difference-maker as we work to revitalize neighborhoods across our city,” said Mayor Duggan. “Projects like The Convent are bringing new options and business opportunities to Campau/Banglatown and our other SNF neighborhoods, while also leading to investment in nearby communities. This is the kind of momentum we’re building all over Detroit.”    

The opening of The Convent continues the improvements of other properties that were formerly part of the historic Transfiguration Catholic church campus in Detroit. Earlier this year, the former school on the property completed a $7.2 million-dollar conversion into 19 units of affordable housing.

"These are great reuses of space within the community," said Councilmember Scott Benson, who represents Detroit's Third District. "These are the types of investments we need in our neighborhoods."

The SNF is a $150 million initiative launched in 2016 by Mayor Duggan and Invest Detroit with a focus on leveraging investments in four keys areas: improving parks, streetscapes, commercial corridors and single-family housing. All along the way, the plans are guided by resident input, empowering them to decide the future of their neighborhoods. The fund was piloted with a $42 million investment in three initial neighborhood areas: Livernois/McNichols, Southwest/West Vernor and Islandview/Greater Villages. Two years later, the SNF initiative was expanded to seven more areas and funded by an investment of $5 million each from seven corporations: American Axle, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Chemical Bank, Fifth Third, Flagstar Bank, Huntington, and Penske. Chemical and Huntington have since merged. American Axle is the corporate partner in Campau/Banglatown.

“We are proud that this is the first commercial SNF project funded in Campau/Banglatown,” said Mike Vieregge, senior vice president for Lending at Invest Detroit. “Our investment in this project has supported bringing 20 new entrepreneurs to this community and finding a new use for a building that has sat vacant over the past several years."

Those interested in learning more about leasing at the Convent can contact the owners at The Schvitz Detroit.

Meet the tenants at The Convent:

Wellness practitioners

  • Heather Gumm – esthetician
  • Dr. Adam Jankovich – Botox
  • Mariana and Kaitlin – massage
  • Jen Shea – esthetician
  • Meg Harris – clairvoyant readings and energy healings
  • Vinnie Calimazzo – psychonautical explorations
  • Wendy Harmon – massage, facials, reiki
  • Lilly Havis – platzas
  • Mysteek Skalski – lymphatic specialist
  • Shawna Lockhart – reiki, skincare, sound healing

Resident artists

  • Nick Richardson – photography
  • Patrick Kingston – painter
  • Sarah Lizzio – painter
  • Jay Elias – sculpture and metal casting
  • Nhu Truong – ceramics
  • Zac Brandt / Roxanne Paypa Scissors – painter, drag queen

Nonprofits

  • The Motor City Lyric Opera
  • Lynch and Sons Fund for the Arts

In-House Airbnb

  • Magdalene

About Invest Detroit

Invest Detroit is a mission-driven nonprofit lender, investor, and partner that supports business and real estate projects that will ignite economic growth in Detroit and the region. Their goal is to increase density and job opportunities in a way that is strategic and inclusive. Learn more at www.InvestDetroit.com.