DETROIT (WXYZ) — The historic Garland Street neighborhood in Detroit is receiving a major investment aimed at transforming the area around Dr. Ossian Sweet Memorial Park into a revitalized community.
The city has invested $1 million American Rescue Fund Act dollars to renovate two homes directly across the street from the historic home of Dr. Ossian Sweet. The restoration project by the Housing and Revitalization Department’s Bridging Neighborhoods team has completed rehabilitation of two vacant homes, with renovations of another two homes on the street expected to be completed in 2026.
Watch Christiana Ford's video report below:
They say it represents part of a broader effort to honor Sweet's legacy while bringing new life to the East Village neighborhood.
In September 1925, an angry mob gathered outside Sweet's home. Sweet, his family and friends defended themselves from a room upstairs, shooting and killing a man in the crowd. An all-white jury found Sweet not guilty, and charges against the other 10 defendants were dropped.
The two properties at 2912 and 2918 Garland are now fully renovated four-bedroom, three-bathroom homes officially on the market for sale. Both homes were once boarded up and in deteriorating condition.
"These houses were caving in on themselves. The basement foundation on this one was coming off by a couple inches. The whole backs of both houses were falling in. Most people would look at these houses and say they need to just be demolished," said Rico Razo, chief of Home Repair and Neighborhood Services. "Knowing the history on this block related to the historic Ossian Sweet house, we wanted to do everything we could to save them and this is the final product here.”
The Detroit Bridging Neighborhoods team restored the homes to their original 1925 style as part of a plan to expand the historic landscape honoring Sweet's legacy. The renovation represents two of four homes being restored in the area.
Daniel Baxter, founder and CEO of the Dr. Ossian H. Sweet Foundation, grew up across the street from Sweet's historic home. He has worked to preserve the memory of what happened on Garland Street nearly a century ago.
"As I got older, I learned the history. I promised my mother that I would do everything I could to make sure that the world knows what happened on this particular corner in 1925 and that moment is here," Baxter said.
Baxter expressed excitement about the broader revitalization efforts surrounding the park and historic home.
"I'm very excited about what this day means not just to the community but to the growth of our great city," Baxter said. "We’re hoping that after today, we’ll get some more activities with families moving into the community continuing that same momentum of growth that the city has experienced over the last couple of years.”
Local residents are also welcoming the investment in their neighborhood. Angelo Daniels, who lives in the area and lived in 2918 Garland before it was boarded up, sees the renovation as positive progress.
"It's great progress. I'm a homeowner. I still live in the area now, so investment is always good, right," Daniels said.
Another neighbor, Antoine M., noted how the improvements remind him of better times in the neighborhood.
"What comes around goes around because now I'm riding around looking and it look like the 80s again," Antoine M. said.
The renovation project builds on previous investments in the area.
- 2912 Garland: Full interior and exterior rehabilitation, including all new electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall, bathrooms, kitchen, sewer and water lines, cedar siding, windows, roof, fencing, and porch restoration. This home will be listed for $249,000.
- 2918 Garland: Major structural and systems overhaul, including replacement of all four basement walls, full mechanical and plumbing systems, cedar siding, new roof, fencing, windows, and porch restoration. This home will be listed for $269,000.
- 2924 Garland: Full conversion and rehabilitation with new roof, siding, windows, mechanical systems, drywall, bathrooms, kitchen, sewer and water lines.
- 2931 Garland: Rehabilitation including foundation repairs, new roof, siding, windows, electrical and plumbing systems, HVAC, drywall, bathrooms, kitchen, sewer and water lines.
The homes are being listed for sale by the Detroit Land Bank Authority in coordination with the city of Detroit.
The Detroit Land Bank has helped to bring more than 12,000 vacant homes back to new life, according to the city.
—————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
