A nearly 50-year-old, 18-story apartment tower at Lafayette and Chene has undergone a $25 million interior and exterior renovation. Now owned by City Club Apartments, the tower has 202 apartments, an 18th floor Sky Lounge, and an outdoor heated pool.
20 percent of the units at City Club Apartments Lafayette Park are categorized as affordable, and many have gone to existing residents of the tower.
Originally called Elmwood Park Plaza, the building was developed in the early '70s with a library, grocery store, and retail as part of the development. Carl Koch designed the building, and Toby Holtzman, father of Jonathan Holtzman, CEO and co-founder of City Club Apartments, was one of the first developers of the project.
“This building has a special place in my heart as it was developed by my father and uncle nearly 50 years ago.” said Holtzman. "We redeveloped this community in response to the demand for affordable luxury in the City. It simply does not exist in the market today and we are excited to be delivering it with this market redefining redevelopment.”
The exterior renovations and interior design were led by McIntosh Poris Associates. Michael Poris tells us that the owner wanted more greenery incorporated into the brutalist design. Elm tree imagery can be seen in the exterior. More greenery was added to outdoor spaces, including the private park and pool area. Energy efficiency also went into the design, with a new HVAC system and high-efficiency exterior windows.
The outdoor areas integrates mature and new trees. The heated pool and hot tub area includes cabanas and places to grill. McIntosh Poris Associates
Additional amenities include gated and secure parking, a resident lounge with a big screen TV and gourmet kitchen, a 24/7 concierge, bike storage, and a Bark Park and dog run (see more photos in the gallery above). The 18th floor lounge has views to Belle Isle, downtown, and Eastern Market.
City Club recently opened a new apartment building downtown at the old Statler Hotel site.
