Grosse Pointe Woods

Children’s Home of Detroit comes down

By April Lehmbeck
C & G Staff Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by April Lehmbeck Demolition was well under way at the old Children’s Home on Cook early this week. Photo by April Lehmbeck Demolition was well under way at the old Children’s Home on Cook early this week.

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — A piece of Grosse Pointe Woods history was in the process of being knocked into piles of rubble early this week to make way for a long-anticipated senior housing development that has city officials excited.

The Rivers of Grosse Pointe, a continuing care retirement community, will take over the 15-acre parcel at 900 Cook Road where the Children’s Home of Detroit has sat vacant for some time.

City officials were eagerly awaiting the demolition of the Children’s Home buildings so that the new project could get going.

“I’ve been riding my bike by (the site) nearly every day, and am looking forward to seeing the construction begin,” Council member Vicki Granger said in an email.

“A project of this magnitude doesn’t come along very often,” Granger said. “Very few communities in the Detroit area have new construction going on.”

“I’m glad it’s getting started,” Building Official Gene Tutag said.

The new site will have activities for seniors in a main building with cottages around the perimeter, a fountain, a pond and landscaping.

City officials aren’t the only ones eagerly awaiting the construction of this multifaceted senior living facility, which will include both independent living condos that can be purchased and assisted living units.

Tutag said the city has been fielding calls from people interested in buying one of the condos before the Children’s Home had even had its buildings demolished.

“I have heard from a lot of senior citizens who are interested in living in one of the condo/cottages, and also heard from residents who are interested in having their parents who live in other areas move here, to the Rivers, closer to them and grandchildren,” Granger said.

It took time before demolition could get under way because there were pre-demolition factors to consider, such as asbestos and other planning issues. Before demolition, mature trees were moved to the back side of the site in hopes that some of them will survive being transplanted throughout the property, Tutag said.

“Even if there’s the expected 8 (percent) loss, it’s nice to know that here in a ‘Tree City USA,’ we will continue to enjoy the benefits of those mature trees,” Granger said.

Tutag agreed.

“It’s kind of a nice component,” he said. “We’re not just destroying vegetation.”

You can reach C & G Staff Writer April Lehmbeck at alehmbeck@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1043.