More development envisioned for Detroit's improving Dexter Avenue corridor

**Airforceguy** · May-20-25, 05:38 AM

The city’s Housing and Revitalization Department on Monday issued a request for proposals for three vacant parcels along Dexter Avenue in the Dexter-Linwood neighborhood, about 9 miles northwest of Detroit’s central business district.

Per the RFP document, city officials seek “a qualified developer/development team to transform the vacant lots … into a mixed-use development encompassing thriving commercial space[[s) and residential units contributing to the current Dexter-Linwood, Russell Woods, and Nardin Park communities’ revitalization.” Submissions to the RFP are due by June 17. The city’s goal with the parcels would be for a low- to mid-sized multi-family development with other ground-floor uses, with housing units targeting a variety of income levels. The lots, owned by the Detroit Land Bank Authority, total about two-thirds of an acre and carry an asking price of $50,000.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...ed-development

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · May-20-25, 11:28 AM

I know that there are efforts underway to improve the Dexter corridor, and recently there was news about the large building for seniors that’s to be rehabbed. What’s the general feeling about these efforts? Is there a significant amount of progress?

I have seen listings for a number of rehabbed houses in the area.

**Satiricalivory** · May-21-25, 07:49 PM

The streetscape renovation appears to be mostly finished, it looks great. They should continue it further down.

**Danny** · May-22-25, 09:57 AM

YAY Duggan

**K-slice** · May-22-25, 02:23 PM

I mean, that area is still full of decrepit buildings and overall squalor. The term "improving " seems like a pretty big stretch.

**Satiricalivory** · May-22-25, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by K-slice

I mean, that area is still full of decrepit buildings and overall squalor. The term "improving " seems like a pretty big stretch.

The area has renovated a lot of homes recently and it's full of very high quality brick housing stock that is mostly intact. The street renovation alone is a giant improvement. There's been dramatic positive change.

**Meddle** · May-22-25, 07:46 PM

This is one of those 'will it last?' kind of things. Is there enough support from the people living in the area to keep the businesses afloat? Will they appreciate the updates, of will they let the fall away?

It's also one of those regional/neighborhood things I talked about years ago. If they can make it work here, in one of the most troubled areas of the city, they may have a good beginning to work other areas.

**mwilbert** · May-23-25, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

This is one of those 'will it last?' kind of things. Is there enough support from the people living in the area to keep the businesses afloat? Will they appreciate the updates, of will they let the fall away?

It's also one of those regional/neighborhood things I talked about years ago. If they can make it work here, in one of the most troubled areas of the city, they may have a good beginning to work other areas.

It is very difficult to site viable ground floor retail in these locations. Honestly, these days it's hard to site it anywhere. People just do a lot less neighborhood shopping than they used to, and people in lower-income neighborhoods probably don't have the money to support things like yoga studios and boutiques that fill a lot of the space in more affluent areas.

**Satiricalivory** · May-23-25, 12:24 PM

The biggest problem with the neighborhood commercial corridors is that they've been treated as nothing but car sewers for so long. Nobody wants to walk to, spend time and shop on an avenue that feels like a highway.

It's why these street renovations that make them more accessible and less car oriented are so important and honestly game changing. It's been done already on various similar avenues across the city.

**Danny** · May-23-25, 03:10 PM

It's great to see Dexter Ave. getting fixed up. Give it about 40 years, the hoods around Dexter Ave. where YBI's, Coney Onies, BK's, Errol Flynn's and Zone 8's did their dealing went from urban desert to a gentrified wonder.

**Danny** · May-23-25, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

The biggest problem with the neighborhood commercial corridors is that they've been treated as nothing but car sewers for so long. Nobody wants to walk to, spend time and shop on an avenue that feels like a highway.

It's why these street renovations that make them more accessible and less car oriented are so important and honestly game changing. It's been done already on various similar avenues across the city.

It least we have bike paths.