Mayor Duggan joins city leaders and partners to celebrate grand opening of The Brooke on Bagley, a Strategic Neighborhood Fund development in Southwest Detroit

• 16 of 78 apartments are reserved for residents at 80% area median income
• $23 million facility developed and built by Detroit-based talent
• Development brings much-needed quality affordable housing to the thriving Southwest Detroit community

Mayor Mike Duggan joined developer Woodborn Partners and residents today to cut the ribbon on The Brooke on Bagley, a new mixed-use and mixed-income development as part of the Strategic Neighborhood Fund initiative. 

The $23 million development at 2420 Bagley includes 78 apartments and more than 2,100 square feet of retail. 16 of the units have been set aside as affordable housing at 80 percent area median income (AMI). There are 38 one-bedroom, three two-bedroom and 37 studio apartments. Residents can enjoy amenities such as 24-hour emergency maintenance, fitness center and dog park. The two-tiered outdoor space and the indoor lounge will also be open to the community for special events.  

"Just a few days ago, we celebrated the reopening of Michigan Central Station and today we celebrate the opening of this beautiful new mixed use, mixed income building just a few steps away.  People living in The Brooke on Bagley will be within easy walking distance of the Southwest Greenway and riverfront, Michigan Central and Roosevelt Park, Mexicantown and Corktown. With its great location and amenities, this will be city living at its best."

Woodborn Partners, led by Clifford Brown, is a Detroit-based development company focused on building better communities.

“We are excited to expand on our investment in the city and honored to join the amazing neighborhood that is Hubbard Richard,” said Woodborn Partners CEO & President Clifford Brown. “We are grateful to all of our partners who have made this happen and look forward to a bright future.”

The development brings much-needed quality affordable housing to the Southwest Detroit community. It sits less than a mile from the newly renovated Michigan Central Station, which just celebrated its historic reopening. It also sits along the Southwest Greenway, connecting residents to both the award-winning Detroit riverfront and the Joe Louis Greenway.

“We are seeing incredible growth in Southwest Detroit and the Corktown neighborhood,” said Housing and Revitalization Director Julie Schneider. “With that growth, the city is committed to creating more affordable housing, and therefore create opportunities for Detroiters to be part of this exciting change.”

Community-driven design

The design of The Brooke on Bagley, led by Gensler Detroit, reflects the position of the building as a gateway and connector between Mexicantown, Hubbard Richard, and Michigan Central Station.  

The interiors support the building's authentic integration into the existing culture of the surrounding community. Colorful, textural details like the intricate breezeblock tile and mural from a local artist are inspired by the surrounding community and solidify the connection to the neighborhood.        

"We are thrilled to see this project come to life; it's a vital and much-needed addition to the thriving Southwest Detroit community," said John Jourden, Architectural Design Director at Gensler Detroit. "What was once a vacant lot is now positioned to be an equitable, active hub for community and hospitality-driven living at the nexus of Mexicantown and Hubbard Richard." 

Purposeful partnerships

The Brooke on Bagley is a Strategic Neighborhood Fund (SNF) project. The SNF is a $150 million private-public partnership between the City of Detroit and the nonprofit Invest Detroit funded by six corporate funders and several philanthropic organizations to invest in housing stabilization, improving parks, commercial corridors, streetscapes, and equitable opportunities for local business owners of color.

"The Strategic Neighborhood Fund has driven the creation of equitable development projects in Detroit," said Keona Cowan, executive vice president of lending for Invest Detroit. "SNF aims to support projects that benefit all Detroiters by offering more housing options in neighborhoods, ensuring affordable living spaces in the city, and increasing access to jobs within residents' own communities. Our goal is for all Detroiters to benefit from the positive changes occurring in neighborhoods throughout the city."

The Brooke on Bagley is also the first project to tap the $11 million Ebiara fund, a partnership between nonprofit Invest Detroit and consulting firm URGE Imprint. The fund provides capital and resources to support growth of Detroit’s black and brown-owned development firms.

“The successful completion of The Brooke on Bagley is a shining example of what can be achieved when vision and expertise are matched with financial resources and support,” said Rod Hardamon, Ebiara Co-Founder & Managing Director. “As Ebiara’s first deal, Woodborn Partners is symbolic of the growth potential black founded development firms possess when provided with growth capital.  We look forward to many more successful collaborations in the future.”

In addition to the SNF and Ebiara, the development was made possible through financial partners Capital Impact Partners, the Michigan Strategic Fund, the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., the Impact Developer’s Fund through TruFund, the Ford Foundation and Morgan Stanley.

"The Brooke on Bagley is a welcome addition to Corktown, another key investment in this redeveloping, resurgent neighborhood," said Damon Hodge, Senior Loan Officer for Capital Impact Partners, part of the Momentus Capital branded family of organizations. "Clifford is bringing new, modern housing — including affordable housing units — so that more Detroiters have the opportunity to enjoy Corktown. We've been proud to work with Clifford for years. His impact on Detroit will resonate for years, both through developments like this and from his incredible mentorship of the diverse developers who participate in our Equitable Development Initiative."

About Woodborn Partners 

Woodborn Partners is a certified Detroit-based and Minority Business Enterprise development company founded in 2009 by lifelong friends Christopher Earley and Cliff Brown, who wanted to change people’s lives and build better communities through Real Estate Development and believed there was a way to monetize building stronger communities that were more than buildings. They believe that if you can build lives and focus on the development of communities while remaining disciplined and understanding the core fundamentals of the business, wealth will come.