Detroit, MI
Detroit sees first new Catholic place of worship in over 60 years
DETROIT (WXYZ) — Loyola High School in Detroit, a private Catholic school for boys, is seeing some major improvements including a new chapel.
It’s big news for the city as it marks the first new Catholic place of worship in Detroit in more than 60 years.
On Wednesday, students, school leaders and community members gathered together to celebrate the grand opening of the new St. Peter Claver Chapel and the new Wayne and Joan Webber Welcome Center.
Both spaces are extensions of Loyola High School.
VIDEO: Take a walk-through tour of the new chapel
VIDEO: Walk-through tour of the new chapel
“It feels wonderful for me to still be in my initial weeks here and to be able to do something this joyful,” said Detroit’s new Archbishop Edward Weisenburger, who led Wednesday’s service in the new chapel.
Related video: Detroit’s next Archbishop talks about the future and the challenges he faces
Detroit’s next Archbishop talks about the future and the challenges he faces
Students now not only have a new entrance to the school, they also have a new facility for daily prayer and reflection whereas before, services were held in the gym.
“What this chapel means to me is I get to grow in my faith and my beliefs in God more,” Rommell Murry said.
The Archdiocese of Detroit told 7 News Detroit like many other dioceses around the country, they too have experienced a decrease in the number of parishes and church buildings.
“This is going to be a blessing not just for a 100 or 150 young men at a time; this will be a blessing for the whole community,” Weisenburger said.
Deborale Richardson-Phillips, Ph.D., Loyola High School’s first female school president, agrees.
“Loyola High School is part of the revitalization of the Detroit area,” she said. “This chapel, and certainly our welcome center, will give people the opportunity to welcome people into our home in ways that we haven’t before.
Everything in the chapel — the chairs, piano and pieces on the chancel — was donated, and school leaders say it’s the community’s support that made it happen.
“This remarkable addition to our campus would not have been possible without the generosity and vision of those of who supported Empower Loyola,” Richardson-Phillips said.
A campaign generated more than $9 million in donations. Cynthia Webber Helisek was one of those donors.
“It took no thoughts whatsoever to say yes to the projects,” she said.
The welcome center is named after her uncle Wayne and aunt Joan Webber, who were big supporters of school — and so is she.
“Most importantly, I want the boys to know they are very valued in this space, and they deserve a beautiful space to learn,” Helisek said.
Detroit, MI
Multiple tornadoes reported in Southwest Michigan amid severe weather
At least two tornadoes were reported in Southwest Michigan on Friday amid severe weather, according to CBS Detroit’s Chief Meteorologist Ahmad Bajjey.
Two of the tornadoes were reported in Union City and Three Rivers, while a possible third tornado may have been in St. Joseph County. Bajjey says the tornadoes caused significant damage. According to Consumers Energy, more than 3,200 customers are without power as of 7:40 p.m. on Friday.
Official reports of fatalities or injuries are unknown, but CBS-affiliate WWMT in Kalamazoo reports that the Branch County medical examiner is on scene in Union City.
The Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division says Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center in response to the storms in Branch, Cass and St. Joseph counties. The department says the center will be supporting local requests for assistance.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Detroit, MI
U.S. Postal Service could run out of money within a year
Detroit, MI
Rapper Tee Grizzley plans mixed-use apartment project in Brush Park
A new mixed-use, mixed-income apartment building proposed for Detroit’s Brush Park is expected to bring 37 units of housing to the neighborhood, according to the project’s lead developer.
The $12 million project at 205 Watson St., known as Wallace Estates, is owned by Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley, whose legal name is Terry Wallace. The 30,000-square-foot development is expected to go before the Detroit Historic District Commission on Wednesday for review. Because the quarter-acre site sits within a historic district, the commission must approve elements such as windows, brickwork, facade materials and other architectural features.
Wallace Estates is planned to be a five-story building with the residential units across the first four floors. The ground floor is expected to include a lobby, a walk-up apartment, commercial space and tuck-under parking. A partial fifth floor will house indoor and outdoor amenities for residents. The building is designed with a masonry facade and large, offset windows, according to the project application.
“Detroit raised me — I’m a west side kid, and I’m passionate about bringing mixed-income housing to my city,” Wallace said in a statement Thursday. “The 205 Watson project is about building safe, quality housing for everybody; that respects longtime residents and welcomes new neighbors — building opportunity without pushing people out.”
The project was the winning bid of a City of Detroit request for proposals for the site, said Nevan Shokar, principal of Shokar Group and the day-to-day development lead. McIntosh Poris Architects is the designer.
“It’s an infill site that’s bringing high-quality housing, both for affordable and market-rate renters,” Shokar said. “And I think it complements the neighborhood nicely with the brick aesthetic, as well as the brass inlays in the windows.”
Construction could begin this summer and be finished in 18 months, Shokar said, placing completion at late 2027.
Wallace Estates will join a wave of new residential development in Brush Park, a neighborhood that has seen nearly a decade of revitalization. Last summer, Bedrock celebrated the completion of City Modern, a nearly 10-year effort to transform a once-neglected area of the historic district.
Shokar said the building would primarily include studios and one-bedroom units, with a few two-bedroom apartments. About 20% of the units will be designated affordable at 80% of area median income, with the remainder rented at market rates.
“The highest demand that you have within this neighborhood and across the city as a whole, is to produce more studio and one-bedroom units,” Shokar said. “The two-bedroom units sometimes and larger sometimes have a hard time filling up, leasing up within buildings, and that’s why you typically see units generally smaller in size.”
Shokar said estimated rents for the new building could range from $1,800 per month for a 450-square-foot studio to $2,700 per month for an 800-square-foot two-bedroom unit.
Shokar said the team will pursue incentives including a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone tax abatement and a housing tax increment financing package.
cwilliams@detroitnews.com
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