Tee Grizzley is backing a $12 million mixed-income housing project in Detroit’s Brush Park with 37 residential units set to open in late 2027.
Tee Grizzley is moving beyond the booth and into Detroit’s real estate game with a $12 million mixed-income housing project set to transform Brush Park.
The rapper’s development company won the city’s request-for-proposals process for a quarter-acre site at 205 Watson Street, where a five-story building called Wallace Estates will rise by late 2027.
The project brings 37 residential units to one of Detroit’s fastest-growing neighborhoods.
Studios and one-bedroom apartments make up the majority of the building, with a handful of two-bedroom units mixed in.
About 20 percent of the units will be designated affordable housing at 80 percent of the area median income, while the rest rent at market rates.
Estimated monthly costs range from $1,800 for a 450-square-foot studio to $2,700 for an 800-square-foot two-bedroom.
“Detroit raised me. I’m a west side kid, and I’m passionate about bringing mixed-income housing to my city,” Tee Grizzley said in a statement. “The 205 Watson project is about building safe, quality housing for everybody; that respects longtime residents and welcomes new neighbors. Building opportunity without pushing people out.”
The ground floor will feature a lobby, walk-up apartment, commercial space, and tuck-under parking.
A partial fifth floor includes indoor and outdoor amenities for residents. The design showcases a masonry facade with large, offset windows that fit the historic district’s aesthetic requirements.
Nevan Shokar, principal of Shokar Group and the project’s day-to-day development lead, emphasized the site’s potential.
“It’s an infill site that’s bringing high-quality housing, both for affordable and market-rate renters,” Shokar said. “And I think it complements the neighborhood nicely with the brick aesthetic, as well as the brass inlays in the windows.”
According to The Detroit News, the project went before the Detroit Historic District Commission for architectural review. Construction could begin this summer, with completion targeted for 18 months later.
Shokar noted that studios and one-bedroom units address the highest demand across Detroit.
“The two-bedroom units sometimes have a hard time filling up within buildings, and that’s why you typically see units generally smaller in size,” he explained.
Wallace Estates joins a wave of residential development in Brush Park, following Bedrock’s completion of the City Modern project last summer.
The development team is pursuing tax incentives, including a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone abatement and housing tax increment financing, to support the project’s affordability goals.
The Historic District Commission’s approval on March 5 cleared the way for the next phase of planning and permitting.
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