DETROIT (WXYZ) — Sanford Nelson's FIRM Real Estate announced Friday plans to convert a six-story building in Eastern Market to residential lofts and retail space.
The building at 1440 Gratiot was constructed in the 1920s and was the home of Atlas Furniture Co. The new lofts will be known as The Atlas Lofts.
Detroit-based architectural firm ROSSETTI will lead the project, with renovation expected to begin in early 2021 before being finished in spring of 2022.
“We are delighted to breathe new life into this building by transforming it into a uniquely Detroit living experience,” said Matt Rossetti, president of ROSSETTI. “The design celebrates the maker aesthetic at the crossroads of industrial design, automotive and machinery, blending the elements of Detroit with modern modularity. Material selection will highlight historically significant details, such as wood, brick, and steel to reflect an eclectic industrial mix.”
Once its finished, they will have 30 residential units ranging from 360 square feet to 1,300 square feet. There will be four ground floor retail units as well.
“This adaptive reuse effort will focus on completely restoring the exterior of the building, in particular the Gratiot facade, to its original grandeur,” said Michael Leinweber, Vice President of Construction for FIRM Real Estate. “The interior of the building as well as its systems will see a complete renovation, with upgrades that conform to modern code, health, fire and safety requirements. The work required is significant, as the building has not received any proper maintenance work or updates in several decades. Estimated construction costs are in the $7 Million range, with an estimated construction schedule of 15 months.”
