Renaissance City Apartments

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Renaissance City Apartments
Courtyard by Marriott - Downtown Detroit.jpg
General information
Typeresidential high-rise
Location555 Brush Street
Detroit, Michigan
Coordinates42°19′49″N 83°02′33″W / 42.3304°N 83.0426°W / 42.3304; -83.0426Coordinates: 42°19′49″N 83°02′33″W / 42.3304°N 83.0426°W / 42.3304; -83.0426
Completed1985
Height
Top floor101 m (331 ft)
Technical details
Floor count33
Design and construction
Architect with Sims-Varner & Associates (now SDG Associates)

The Renaissance City Apartments (formerly called Millender Center Apartments) is an upscale residential skyscraper located at 555 Brush Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is one of Detroit's tallest residential buildings, standing at 33 floors. It was constructed in 1985 in the Modern architectural style adjacent to the similarly designed Courtyard by Marriott – Downtown Detroit.

The residential apartments are connected by elevated enclosed skyways to the Renaissance Center (Across the street along Jefferson Avenue), the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Detroit, and to the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. The high-rise apartments also contain a large parking garage. It was originally named after Robert L. Millender Sr., an attorney, political activist and campaign manager for Mayor Coleman Young. He encouraged and supported the candidacy of many in the African-American political community. They include former Michigan Secretary of State Richard H. Austin, Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), several City of Detroit Council members, local judges, and several Wayne County Commissioners. In recognition of the historic contributions Robert Millender made to the City of Detroit, this building was dedicated to in his memory in the 1980s. The Center complex includes an Office Center, the Courtyard by Marriott, the 33-story Renaissance City Club Apartments complex and a parking facility. Transportation is provided by the Detroit People Mover which has a station at the facility.

Renaissance City Apartments

The main lobby of the Renaissance City Club Apartments features an original portrait of Robert L. Millender Sr., which was painted by the distinguished Detroit artist, Carl Owens. This complex is linked to the city by skywalks and the People Mover. A large pottery mural can be seen inside the Renaissance City Apartments people mover station. It was designed by local African-American artist Alvin Loving, Jr. He is a nationally known painter and had worked at Detroit's Pewabic Pottery, one of two active turn-of-the-century pottery studios in the country.

Awards[]

  • SatisFacts - 2019 Resident Satisfaction Property Award Winner
  • Webby Awards - 2018 Honoree for Website Functionality and Design[1]
  • Property Management Association of Michigan GLASTAR - 2014 Best Overall Marketing
  • Detroit Metropolitan Apartment Association PRISM - 2014 Best Renovated Property

Facts[]

This was Detroit's tallest residential tower from completion until the reopening of Broderick Tower Lofts in 2012.

The then Millender Center Apartments were designed and executed by Sims-Varner and Associates (now SDG), the architecture firm of two of Detroit's most prominent 20th century Black architects at the time, Howard Sims (1933-2016) and Harold Varner (1936-2013).

Forest City Enterprises, a USD 9 billion, publicly traded (NYSE: FCEA; NYSE: FCEB) real estate company based in Cleveland, sold Renaissance City Apartments (then Millender Center Apartments) to Village Green, a privately owned Farmington Hills-based firm for USD 15 million in 2013.


See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ The Webby Awards https://winners.webbyawards.com/2018/websites-and-mobile-sites/features-design/best-visual-design-function/46021/city-club-apartments. Missing or empty |title= (help)

Further reading[]

External links[]

Education[]

Residents are zoned to Detroit Public Schools

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