Brewsterdouglass projects old photos gallery historic. Took an adventure today to the infamous brewsterdouglass housing projects in detroit. State of michigandetroit michiganvisit detroitdetroit tigersdetroit riotsdetroit historylocal historydetroit areaboom. Part of the brewsterdouglass housing project site is shown in detroit in 2011. In 1988, brewsterdouglass residents protest that the city was leveling houses in the city while they were stuck in squalor in the projects.
The towers were built as an addition to the frederick douglass homes, which were lowrise apartment block as and small rows of apartments that were first built in 1938. Department of housing and urban development has approved the sale of the former brewsterdouglass housing projects site in detroit to an affiliate of. Department of housing and urban development has approved the sale of the former brewsterdouglass housing projects site in detroit to. There were six 14story highrises, two sixstory buildings and. Black bottom, detroit project gutenberg selfpublishing. Two of the six 14story frederick douglas apartments towers, 303 and 304, were.
This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the brewsterdouglass housing projects of detroit michigan and there is nothing to celebrate. Bedrock seeks 900 units, retail at former brewster. I grow up in a getto like this but not so beautiful built like this with its brick fassade. The brewster homes were the first federally funded housing project for. Phasing out housing projects to shore up the housing voucher program. Here are some images of the projects in their day brewsterdouglass projects old photos historic detroit more information find this pin and more on detroit by lesley baird. In the early 1950s, back when housing projects were considered the. How section 8 became a racial slur a history of public housing in america. The brewsterdouglas housing projects towers were built in in 1952 and designed by noted detroit architects smith, hinchman, and grylls. The brewsterdouglass projects rank up there with many of the other wellknown u. The former brewsterdouglass housing projects could be replaced with new 850 apartments and townhouses. For all the developments that have come to fruition, quite a few were announced. Distant view of apartment buildings in brewsterdouglass housing projects.
The brewsterdouglass towers, some of detroits most visible and. Advertisement storied brewsterdouglass housing projects in detroit may soon be demolished march 11, 2012 comments email print share. To detroit michigan public housing this facebook page was created to be utilized for memoir and educational. If youve ever wondered about why they were created or what it was like to live in them, wed love to fill you in with our threepart series. Part of the 20building brewsterdouglass housing project site in detroit, seen in march 2011, two years after the. Brewsterdouglass housing projects home projects, motown, detroit. Demolition begins on detroits storied brewster towers windsor star. They were the first public housing project built for africanamericans, and were home to motown legends diana ross, mary wilson, florence ballard and smokey robinson, and actress lily tomlin.
Federal housing policies created after the depression ensured that africanamericans and other people of color were left out of. How section 8 became a racial slur the washington post. The brewsterdouglass housing projects were the largest residential housing project owned. Brewsterdouglass redevelopment to target all incomes. Detroits landmark towers of brewsterdouglass housing. Here is a virtual sketchup tour of the abandoned brewster douglas housing projects near downtown detroit.
In addition to being a symbol of detroits decline, brewsterdouglass was a symbol of the disastrous publichousing projects of the 1950s and institutionalized segregation. The brewsterdouglass housing projects officially named the frederick douglass homes, and alternately named frederick douglass projects, frederick douglass apartments, brewsterdouglass homes, and brewsterdouglass projects were the largest residential housing project owned by the city of detroit, located in the brush park section on the east side of detroit, michigan, near the chrysler freeway, mack avenue and st. Brewster began as twostory rowhouses and threestory apartment buildings. Breaking news cannabis detroit economy book of lists energy. Brewster douglas housing projects detroit virtual tour in. In addition to the four towers, there were two sixstory apartment buildings and 16 row houses. Brewsterdouglass projects old photos gallery historic detroit. Hud approves sale of brewsterdouglass site to gilbert for. The two sixstory buildings were built in 1942, and the douglass. Government segregated america author richard rothstein says the housing programs begun under the new deal were tantamount to. This is just a little video i put together from my homies film. We dont need more housing projects the washington post.
Bedrock seeks 900 units, retail at former brewsterdouglass project. This was the first subsidized housing for african americans and completed in 1952. Brewster, and the adjoining frederick douglass project, where stevie. The developments history, its size and the fact the graffiticovered. Mapping all the stalled, troubled, and dead developments in detroit. Heres why the brewsterdouglass housing projects were built in. All this week on stateside, were looking at the history of the brewsterdouglass housing projects in detroit.