First new, mixed-use high-rise in Detroit’s central business district in nearly 30 years opens

City Club Apartments completed two multifamily projects in 2021 in downtown Detroit including the first new, mixed-use high-rise in Detroit’s central business district in nearly 30 years.

Designed by BKV Group, the 288-unit City Club Apartments CBD Detroit is an amenity-rich, seven-story development overlooking Grand Circus Park. It revitalizes a vacant urban infill site that was once home to the historic Statler Hotel.

Offering housing at a variety of price points, CCA CBD Detroit features studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units including penthouses and townhomes. There are 53 different floor plans, with four finish packages available.

BKV Model Unit — A model unit in CBD Detroit.

CBD Detroit landscape — CBD Detroit respects the surrounding cityscape.

For visual appeal and scale that respects the surrounding cityscape, the single building has the appearance of multiple structures. The street-facing facade features a neutral color palette of white, black, and wood tones. The interior courtyard showcases a bold mix of colors and patterns associated with the City Club Apartments brand. The concave front of the building facing Grand Circus Park mimics the curve of the streets marking the park’s perimeter.

Amenity Design — Amenity design was extremely important to the BKV Group.

Amenities support social connections. They include a lobby lounge library; entertainment club room with kitchen; theater; 24/7 Whole Body Fitness Center, a business center with conference room, and an indoor pool and hot tub that connects to an expansive courtyard via garage doors. Outside, a kitchen and bar area, separate outdoor theater/event space, Zen garden, and bark park are available for residents. A multi-story exterior mural on the adjacent CCA Detroit property overlooks the courtyard.

CCA CBD Detroit’s retail spaces, situated adjacent to the park, take advantage of the views for outdoor dining and connection to the community. Tenants include The Statler Bistro, the city’s first indoor/outdoor casual French dining destination and Premier Pet Supply.

BKV Group also served as the interior designer for the renovation of CCA Lafayette Park, a significant update of a 1970s-era multifamily community formerly known as Elmwood Park Plaza. Interior work included upgrades of existing units, including four standard and four penthouse plans. Improvements include new flooring, paint, and lighting, as well as updated kitchens and baths. Select units offer movable kitchen islands, glass tile backsplashes, granite kitchen countertops, and private balconies.

BKV Lafayette Park Lobby — BKV's interior design for the lobby at Lafayette Park.

Club Room Lafayette Park — The Club Room at Lafayette Park was designed to show hospitality to residents and visitors.

City Club’s standard hospitality-inspired amenities include a lobby lounge library and entertainment club room on the first floor that connects to the adjacent outdoor Terrace Club. The latter space houses a pool, hot tub, cabanas, and poolside grilling stations, as well as a Zen garden, beach volleyball court, bark park, and dog run. Other indoor offerings include a penthouse-level sky lounge with city and river views. The renovation also included facade enhancements featuring tree-inspired greenery that serves as an extension of the landscaped Terrace Club below.

City Club Apartments CBD Detroit
Owner and/or developer: City Club Apartments
Design architect: BKV Group
Interior designer: BKV Group
Architect of record: BKV Group
MEP engineer: BKV Group
Structural engineer: BKV Group
General contractor/construction manager: Wolverine Building Group

City Club Apartments Lafayette Park
Owner and/or developer: City Club Apartments
Design architect: McIntosh Poris Associates
Interior designer: BKV Group
Architect of record: McIntosh Poris Associates
MEP engineer: ETS Engineering, Inc., and Sellinger Associates Inc.
Structural engineer: Odeh Engineers
General contractor/construction manager: MIG Construction

Now 46 years running, Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report rankings the largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. This year a record 519 AEC firms participated in BD+C's Giants 400 report. The final report includes more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.

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