By Nancy Kaffer

The tall brick towers of the Frederick Douglass Apartments look as if they've been abandoned for decades, looming over the junction of I-75 and I-375, a well-traveled route for commuters from the city's northern suburbs. But despite the tall grass, glassless windows and air of general neglect, the towers were occupied as recently as 2008.

The Detroit Housing Commission has been trying to sell the towers for renovation -- or, more likely, demolition and redevelopment -- since the buildings were vacated. But so far, no developer has emerged. At least, not one with the credibility to satisfy Eugene Jones, executive director of the Housing Commission, or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which must sign off on the deal.

Now, with Detroit's Midtown booming, thanks to years of steady growth, bolstered recently by business-offered housing incentives, Jones hopes the site's location -- close to the economic development successes in Midtown and a major commuter artery -- will generate new interest.

When the housing projects at the Brewster Douglass site opened in 1938, it was a signal achievement -- because of restrictive covenants and other discriminatory housing practices, black Detroiters often were forced into substandard housing.

Continued at: http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ome-optimistic

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