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The St. Elizabeth Briarbank Home was recently purchased by Cranbrook Educational Community. This property will help house students while Cranbrook undergoes residential housing renovations.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
BLOOMFIELD HILLS — The Cranbrook Educational Community recently purchased the St. Elizabeth Briarbank Home, which was previously used as a Catholic assisted living community for local women.
Prior to its closure in October of last year, the 13-acre Bloomfield Hills campus was owned by the Daughters of Divine Charity, a congregation of Catholic religious sisters.
The sale of the St. Elizabeth Briarbank Home closed April 15. Following the purchase of the property, Cranbrook has begun making short-term plans for their use of the St. Elizabeth Briarbank Home.
Cranbrook Director of Communications Julie Fracker said proximity was one of the main reasons Cranbrook was drawn to purchase this property.
“It fits in with our strategic vision for our campus in terms of updating and keeping new facilities up to date for our existing students,” Fracker said.
The St. Elizabeth Briarbank Home is currently organized into 70 dormitory-style rooms. Fracker said they plan to use this space to temporarily house students during construction on their campus’s current residential housing facilities.
“With this project, we’ll be looking to update all of the residential housing here on campus,” Fracker said.
Over the next few years, some students will live in the St. Elizabeth Briarbank Home as Cranbrook works on renovations. Once students are living in this space, Cranbrook plans to organize transportation to and from these campuses.
Cranbrook is currently working on evaluating the site so they can make a clear timeline and schedule for the project.
Fracker said they have not yet established a long-term plan for this property for after the renovations to the existing residential housing are complete.
Cranbrook is also not disclosing the purchase price of the St. Elizabeth Briarbank Home. Fracker said the money came from a school endowment.
“I think we have been fortunate to have acquired this site, and we look forward to being able to proceed with our residential housing upgrades, which has been something we have been looking to do for a number of years,” Fracker said.
