Built in 1924 by Architects Louis Kamper and Lew Tuller, the Italian Renaissance Revival-style Hotel Eddystone was a successful hotel empire as it was common for traveler’s to reside in a hotel rather than renting an apartment, home or other form of dwelling space until it closed in the late 1990s. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. To revive this gem, the adjacent Park Avenue Hotel was demolished in 2015. Following, the Olympia Development of Michigan (ODM) purchased Hotel Eddystone in 2017 with a plan to covert the property into 92 units which include a mix of studios, one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms (20% of units reserved as affordable housing) in the exciting District Detroit neighborhood. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project encountered delays in material costs and increasing lead times. A unique feature of Hotel Eddystone is the restoration of the beautiful limestone façade ornamentation, with the need for replication of the terra cotta surrounding the windows. Overall, the interiors are an eclectic mixture of classic details and more modern shapes. Architecture, Interior Design and Historic Consulting were all completed by Detroit-based Kraemer Design Group. The historic lobby restoration included detailed panel replication as a focal point to the “community table” which represents the epicenter of the project for residents to gather in a warm, inviting atmosphere. The units offer unique backsplash tile motifs with bold geometric shapes that are carried into the bathroom floor tile and beyond in the corridors. FF+E procurement included public space furniture and unit casegoods.
