The former home of Michigan’s only Historically Black College and University has entered a new era with the opening of the Dr. Violet T. Lewis Village, a $29.3 million affordable senior housing development bringing more than 100 income-restricted apartments to Detroit’s northwest side. The project sits on the original campus of the Lewis College of Business, the institution founded by Dr. Violet T. Lewis that served generations of Black students seeking business and clerical training when many educational paths were closed to them.
The site’s history runs deep in Detroit.
The Lewis College of Business operated at 17370 Meyers Road, where the new housing now stands. Years after the college’s closure, its legacy was carried forward through the reactivation of its charter. The reimagined campus, now known as the PENSOLE Lewis College of Business and Design (PLC Detroit), operates at 200 Walker Street in Detroit’s Rivertown/Innovation District.
The original Meyers Road campus — long vacant — is the land now redeveloped into the Dr. Violet T. Lewis Village.
City and state officials joined development partners and the Lewis family for the ribbon-cutting. Mayor Mike Duggan, City Council Member Angela Whitfield Calloway, State Representative Regina Weiss, Dr. Violet Ponders (granddaughter of Dr. Lewis), Wallick CEO Amy Albery, and Presbyterian Villages of Michigan (PVM) leaders Roger Myers and Reverend Dr. Louis J. Prues marked the opening alongside community members.
“This site has such a deep history in our city, being the location of Michigan’s only HBCU for many years,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “I’m so glad that Presbyterian Villages has preserved Violet Lewis’ legacy as part of this beautiful new community that is providing more than 100 affordable apartments for our seniors.”
The development pairs preservation with new construction. Two historic campus buildings were restored, and a new four-story building was added. Construction began in spring 2024 through a partnership between Wallick Communities of New Albany, Ohio, and Southfield-based PVM. The completed project includes 105 apartments, all income-restricted and designated for seniors.
“With the completion of Dr. Violet T. Lewis Village, there will be 105 new and affordable homes for seniors in Detroit,” said Wallick CEO Amy Albery. “Wallick is committed to providing people of all incomes safe and stable housing as they age.”
PVM President and CEO Roger Myers emphasized the continued role of the organization in senior housing across the city.
“The Dr. Violet T. Lewis Village represents an important and historic expansion of our services to seniors in Detroit that began almost 30 years ago, with the opening of The Village of Bethany Manor in the Virginia Park neighborhood. We are pleased to be partnering with Wallick Communities in their first development in the City of Detroit, with more to come.”
Affordability is central to the project. All units are regulated for residents earning 30% to 80% of area median income (AMI), or $20,160 to $69,120 annually. Rents vary by building type.
In the new construction building:
- One-bedroom units: $783–$840
- Two-bedroom units: $983
All capped at 60% AMI, or $40,320 per year.
In the rehabilitated historic buildings:
- One-bedroom units: $427–$786
- Two-bedroom units: $723–$939
These units accommodate the full 30%–80% AMI range.
Five apartments are project-based voucher units reserved for seniors with the lowest incomes.
Apartments include Energy Star appliances, ceiling fans, luxury vinyl flooring, window treatments, and private balconies or patios. The property offers on-site management, a fitness area, community space, and computer access.
Financing relied heavily on federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits allocated by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). Additional support came from MSHDA gap financing, City of Detroit HOME and American Rescue Plan Act funds, The Kresge Foundation, Merchants Capital Security Bank, First Merchants Bank, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis. The LIHTC program has supported the preservation or construction of more than 119,000 affordable homes across Michigan.
The redevelopment brings new life to a property that shaped Detroit’s Black educational and economic landscape for decades. The Meyers Road campus once trained students who faced systemic exclusion in business schools and workplaces. Its transformation into senior housing returns the land to active community use while acknowledging the work of Dr. Violet T. Lewis, whose impact still anchors Detroit’s history.
Applications for Dr. Violet T. Lewis Village can be submitted at 313-270-9150 or through the Presbyterian Villages of Michigan website.
