Coming soon to Detroit - a fashion design hub: the Garment District

DETROIT (WJBK) - You've seen Tech Town, Fox Town and now, cut from the same cloth - the Garment District. 

In three months, the empty building in the shadow of Henry Ford Hospital at the corner of Lincoln and Holden will transform into a new part of Detroit with a focus on fashion.

"It's really exciting to finally see it come to fruition, to see the very first tenants having their spaces built out," said Karen Buscemi from nonprofit Detroit Garment Group.

Buscemi is one of the people helping to build this program and has her own company in Pontiac called Detroit Sewn. She says the Garment District will be busting at the seams with the talent already here. 

"People talk about New York, people talk about California, people even talk about Chicago and the Carolinas but you don't really see people talk about Michigan when it comes to fashion design, and we have some really talented designers here who can compete with anybody on the coasts," she said.

Phase one will be a 15,000-20,000 square foot building which will become home to at least two companies. Eventually, it will include a coffee shop, bakery, restaurant and a beer garden. 

"Manufacturers, fashion designers, retailers and all the other types of services. It could be fashion PR people, it can be photographers, it can be shipping companies - all the things that you really need to have a flourishing garment district," Buscemi said.

The second phase will mean another 25,000 square feet. Mayor Mike Duggan has said he wants to promote the fashion industry, making it a priority in next three years - putting Detroit in the forefront.

"There are all different types of jobs that will be available from somebody with no experience to somebody with a lot of experience, this community will see a great influx of working positions available," Buscemi said.