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DETROIT (FOX 2) - You've seen the boom in Midtown and downtown, but in the shadows of Greektown, off 375 and Rivard near the Lafayette Park Neighborhood, something different is going on.
Officials are tearing down a dilapidated old to make way for a 108 million, 5.2-acre development featuring 374 units.
"The goal of this entire project will be to have people of different ethnic backgrounds, different economic classes, all living and working in the same area. That's what's going to make it so exciting," said Alex Ivanikiw with Barton Malow.
Barton Malow taking on the building contract. Amin Irving, president & CEO of Ginosko Development Company, is excited about what makes this different.
"There is a unique subset of residents that are saying, hey, I want to be a part of all the revitalization, I want to be right next to it. Not necessarily right in the middle of it, but right next to it," he said.
The city requires new builds to make room for affordable housing, and Lafayette West will do that and more.
"Our goal is to make this affordable for everyone, not just the 20 percent that meet that requirement. This is an opportunity to bring living back into the city for a lot of people," Ivanikiw said.
And what you see from the apartment is as much a selling point as the location itself.
"The views of the river, over downtown Detroit will be unmatched in the city. There will be apartments, there are mid-rise apartments and there are condos that are great as well with adequate parking for everyone," Ivanikiw said.
It's also a throwback to Detroit of the past.
"Back in the '50s, it was an experiment in architecture and construction. It has been a successful community for 60 years but it's been it's own little enclave. This is taking the success of that community and extending it towards downtown Detroit," Ivanikiw said.