Detroit, MI

Historic Detroit hotel transformed into affordable housing in Midtown

Published

2 years ago

June 23, 2023

Historic Detroit hotel transformed into affordable housing

The Coalition On Temporary Shelter – or COTS – has turned it into 56 units of affordable permanent supportive housing for families at, or below, the poverty threshold.

DETROIT (FOX 2) – It was a hotel, then a homeless shelter – and now apartments that are strictly affordable housing – and it’s all thanks to a Metro Detroit architecture firm.

Jim Pappas is president of Fusco, Shaffer, and Pappas Architects and Planners. He and his firm recently renovated the Woodward building in Midtown, built in 1924.

“It was a residential hotel – built in ’24 and stayed that way for many years,” he said. “Like this plaster – this is 100 years old. What you see here, is the original.”

The cost was $17 million.

“It’s expensive to save some of these old buildings, but you’re losing Detroit – you know, you’re losing these amazing structures that are all over the City of Detroit that make it unique,” Pappas said. “Do it right and save these buildings.”

But preserving the building was only part of the process – preserving families was far more important. You see it was a hotel. The former hotel turned homeless shelter has now been transformed.

The Coalition On Temporary Shelter – or COTS – has turned it into 56 units of affordable permanent supportive housing for families at, or below, the poverty threshold.

“Anybody can do a shopping center,” he said. “But if you do somebody’s home like this – that really needs a place to live, it’s a great feeling.”

“It’s one thing to be able to provide services,” said Aisha Morrell-Ferguson, of COTS. “It’s another to have a venue – a space – where they can find safety, comfort, and support.

“Some of the families that we partner with – that we collaborate with – have experienced trauma and crisis. So oftentimes they just need support – they need somebody to say hey – you’re not alone – there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Morrell- Ferguson is chief development officer for COTS – she says affordable housing like this is almost unheard of in Detroit’s Midtown.

“The developments that are going up around us – one bedroom apartments, and some of them studios – $2,200, $2,300 a month – that’s not affordable for the average Detroit family,” she said.

Which is why – she says this is so valuable. People can get a GED, programming for children, healthy cooking classes there, while a mobility coach helps the families toward a brighter future.

“A lot of our families have little to no income,” she said. “So some of our families don’t have rent to pay – others have a very small percentage of that income so they can build that stability.”

The first family moved in, December 2020 and by June of 2021 all of the apartments were full in a safe, stable environment.

One that Jim Pappas is proud to be part of it, along with the many other non-profits they’ve designed for.

“Today over half of our work is with different non-profit organizations,” Pappas said.

“We believe heavily in the power of partnership and even to partner with Fusco Shaffer and Pappas – to bring this vision – this dream to reality – it’s a dream come true for us,” Morrell-Ferguson. “But it’s bigger than us – it’s for the families

Families – getting stronger every day.

“It’s a joy – i can’t even put it into words how amazing it feels to be able to witness that growth and that triumph for them,” she said.

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Detroit, MI

Michigan native’s home in California destroyed in wildfire

Published

46 minutes ago

January 10, 2025

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Michigan native’s home in California destroyed in wildfire – CBS Detroit

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As fires continue to burn across Los Angeles, the recovery process is beginning for some. One pastor lost everything to the flames, and now Michigan is stepping in to help.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Tigers avoid arbitration with all nine eligible players for $26.76 million in 2025

Published

9 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Detroit Tigers avoid arbitration with all nine eligible players for .76 million in 2025

The Detroit Tigers agreed to terms with all nine of their arbitration eligible players.

Their salaries are locked in for the 2025 season.

Seven players signed one-year contracts before MLB’s deadline Thursday to avoid arbitration: left-hander Tarik Skubal, right-handed reliever Jason Foley, outfielder Matt Vierling, catcher Jake Rogers, right-hander Casey Mize, right-handed reliever Will Vest and right-handed reliever Beau Brieske.

The Tigers already agreed to terms in late November with two additional arbitration eligible players: infielder/outfielder Zach McKinstry at $1.65 million and infielder Andy Ibáñez at $1.4 million.

Teams and arbitration-eligible players were required agree to salary figures by 1 p.m. Thursday. For those who didn’t reach an agreement, there was another deadline at 8 p.m. Thursday to exchange salary figures in preparation for an arbitration hearing to be scheduled within the next month. During the hearing, a panel of arbitrators selects either the team’s proposed salary or the player’s proposed salary.

The Tigers, under president of baseball operations Scott Harris, operate as a “file-and-trial” club, which means there would have been no further negotiations on one-year contracts after Thursday’s salary-exchange deadline.

However, the Tigers and their players will avoid arbitration hearings altogether in 2025, as all parties agreed to terms, extending the Tigers’ streak without an arbitration hearing to six years.

The most notable news from Thursday’s deadline: Skubal — the 2024 American League Cy Young winner who previously turned down a contract extension offer — settled with the Tigers at a $10.15 million salary for 2025, earning a $7.5 million raise from his $2.65 million salary in 2024.

Skubal, 28, will be eligible for salary arbitration for the third and final time after the 2025 season. He is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2026 season.

Aside from Skubal’s raise, Rogers settled at $2.64 million — up from $1.7 million last year — in his second year of arbitration and Mize settled at $2.34 million — up from $830,000 last season — in his second year of arbitration. Both Rogers and Mize, like Skubal, are set to reach free agency after the 2026 campaign.

The other six eligible players are in their first year of salary arbitration: Foley at $3.15 million, Vierling at $3.005 million, McKinstry at $1.65 million, Vest at $1.4 million, Ibáñez at $1.4 million and Brieske at $1.025 million.

Players must have at least three years of service time — or qualify for Super Two status — to be eligible for salary arbitration, then players become free agents after six years of service time. Therefore, most players are arbitration-eligible for a total of three years, but a Super Two qualifier — such as Ibáñez and Brieske — receives four years of arbitration eligibility.

In 2025, the Tigers will pay $26.76 million to nine arbitration-eligible players.

Here’s the full breakdown, listed in order of salary: Skubal ($10.15 million), Foley ($3.15 million), Vierling ($3.005 million), Rogers ($2.64 million), Mize ($2.34 million), McKinstry ($1.65 million), Vest ($1.4 million), Ibáñez ($1.4 million), Brieske ($1.025 million).

The Tigers are also on the hook for another $68.5 million to five players on free agent or longterm deals: SS Javier Báez ($25 million), RHP Alex Cobb ($15 million), 2B Gleyber Torres ($15 million), RHP Kenta Maeda ($10 million) and 1B Colt Keith ($3.5 million). The remainder of the Tigers’ 26-man roster, including players such as DH Kerry Carpenter and RHP Reese Olson, will make the league-minimum salary, set for $760,000 in 2025.

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple,Spotify) ]

For now, Skubal is the fourth-highest paid player on the Tigers’ roster in 2025, trailing only Báez, Cobb and Torres. Keith, who signed a contract extension before his MLB debut, checks in at sixth on the leaderboard.

Skubal made the All-Star Game for the first time in his five-year MLB career en route to winning the Cy Young in 2024, posting an 18-4 record with a 2.39 ERA, 35 walks and 228 strikeouts across 192 innings in 31 starts. He led the AL in wins, ERA and strikeouts to secure the first AL pitching Triple Crown in a full season since 2011.

When next offseason rolls around, Skubal is all but guaranteed to surpass $15 million (and could reach $20 million) for his 2026 salary in his third and final trip through the arbitration process before free agency.

The Tigers haven’t had an arbitration hearing with a player since Michael Fulmer in 2019, with Fulmer losing to the Tigers. Before Fulmer’s case, there hadn’t been an arbitration hearing involving the Tigers since 2001.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Police officers authorized to wear Lions hats during NFL playoffs

Published

17 hours ago

January 9, 2025

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Detroit Police officers authorized to wear Lions hats during NFL playoffs

Detroit Lions fans come together to celebrate historic victory

02:08

(CBS DETROIT) – Detroit Lions hats are now temporarily part of the Detroit Police Department’s attire.

Chief Todd A. Bettison announced Wednesday that officers can wear either a Detroit Lions skullcap or ballcap when they are in uniform. It’s just one of the ways that community leaders and fans are showing support for the Lions as the NFL playoffs continue.

Detroit Police Department

“Congratulations to the Lions on their historic season! Go Lions!!” the department’s Facebook post said.

The Lions took a 31-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, which gave them home-field advantage and the top seed in the NFC playoffs. The team currently has a bye week for the divisional round during the weekend of Jan. 18.

The Super Bowl is on Feb. 9.

On Monday, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard authorized his staff to wear Lions baseball caps and beanies through the playoff run. The Spirit of Detroit statue also has been attired in a Honolulu blue Lions jersey.

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