A historic library in northwest Detroit slated for demolition has been officially opened as the Detroit Police Department’s newest precinct building.

The city has repurposed the former Redford Branch Library on West McNichols Road into the Eighth Precinct Community Annex, a headquarters for DPD’s neighborhood police officers, a special unit that focuses on responding to calls that don’t require an emergency response. The nearly century-old building will also be used for community events and meetings.

The police department began renovations on the building in 2019. The current Eighth Precinct building opened in 2017 after it closed 12 years earlier as part of a restructuring of the police department’s patrol operations, according to WJBK (Channel 2).

Mayor Mike Duggan said at Friday’s ceremony he made reopening the Eighth Precinct a campaign promise.

“I promised the voters in this area that that one way or another, I would reopen the Eighth Precinct right in this area of northwest Detroit,” Duggan said Friday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Detroit first used the building, built in 1925, as the Redford Branch Library when the city annexed part of Redford Township in 1926 into the city limits. It closed in 1971, city officials said, and was reopened for a time as an African American history museum before shutting down again in the 1990s. The building was sold in 2010 as part of a deal that also included the former Redford High School complex.

Duggan credited City Council President Pro Tem James Tate, who represents District 1, for leading the push to preserve the building. Duggan said the city originally planned to demolish it and use it as a parking lot for the Eighth Precinct’s main building.

“It was very clear to me and other members of the community that a building with this level of architecture that you don’t find anywhere should not be demolished,” Tate said. “We knew that it wasn’t going to be easy project and clearly, it wasn’t. It took time, but as we know, important things it take time.”

Police Chief James White, Deputy Chief Tiffany Stewart, Eighth Precinct Commander Dietrich Lever and College Park Community Association President Peggy Noble also attended Friday’s ceremony.

Noble, a retired social worker, said it’s been necessary for her to act as a voice for her community. She said during the 12 years the Eighth Precinct was combined with the Sixth Precinct, residents remained hopeful it would reopen.

“We’ve been waiting for a long, long time,” she said. “You have to have someone in the community to act and make sure things go right.”

jcardi@detroitnews.com

Detroit city government’s former planning executive, who left to take on various roles, including running Boston’s planning and development agency, is returning to Detroit.

Arthur Jemison has been appointed to serve as executive director of the Detroit Housing Commission. He previously held various roles in Detroit, including chief of services and infrastructure, and group executive for planning, housing and development.

The Detroit Housing Commission aims to provide affordable housing for low and moderate-income residents across metro Detroit. The commission manages about 4,000 housing units for seniors and families, according to the agency. Jemison’s arrival comes at a time when the commission “recognizes a need for organizational change” to better serve residents and properties.

Jemison left the city in 2021 to join President Joe Biden’s administration to serve as principal deputy assistant secretary of housing and urban development in the office of community planning and development. A year later, he moved to Boston to serve as the city’s chief planner and director of the planning and development agency. Jemison was considered a “highly regarded official” in Boston, often serving as a buffer between the mayor and development community, the Boston Globe reports.

His appointment to the housing commission comes amid turbulence within the agency. Outlier Media reports that that employees within the agency have faced burnout and resignations due to heavy demands and unresolved complaints.

Jemison could not be immediately reached.

Jemison’s previous roles in Detroit

He began working for the city in 2014 amid Detroit’s bankruptcy. His role including moving various projects forward, such as the Michigan Central Station redevelopment, Stellantis expansion, the launch of the Strategic Neighborhood Fund, and the Detroit Housing for the Future Fund. Jemison was also responsible for improving Detroit’s compliance with federal regulators to monitor federal funding in neighborhoods amid a federal probe. The city’s demolition program was temporarily suspended in 2016 by the U.S. Treasury Department for improper documentation and bidding.

He previously told the Free Press that amid bankruptcy and a series of public corruption cases putting Detroit under a national spotlight, the city was able to prove it could spend federal money with better compliance.

“That was at the forefront of my mind. The city was recovering from bankruptcy, there were questions about our ability to manage and making sure we were doing our very best for better compliance, better movement of money but also trying new things” Jemison previously told the Free Press.

Richard Hosey, president of the Detroit Housing Commission board, praised Chief Operating Officer Irene Tucker’s management for her role as interim chief executive officer ahead of Jemison’s appointment.

“Her leadership allowed us to search for a dynamic candidate who not only knows and loves Detroit but also brings national and local experience to lead the team to new heights. Getting Arthur back to the city in this role at this crucial time for DHC is a big win for the Housing Commission and affordable housing in Detroit. We look forward to the incredible work he and Irene will do,” Hosey said in a statement.

Mayor Mike Duggan praised his former cabinet member.

“Arthur was an exceptional leader for the city’s housing department, and he will be the same for the Detroit Housing Commission. He knows the issues Housing Commission residents face every day and will bring them real change,” Duggan said in a statement.

Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.

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