Downriver office tower to be converted to residential

A significant office-to-residential conversion downriver is set to start construction next week. Now known as the Bank Tower, the former Southgate Tower on Trenton Road will be converted to 215 apartments.

The redevelopment is led by Beztak and Gordon Begin Properties out of Farmington Hills. The group acquired the property in 2021.

In addition to the residential construction, the redevelopment will include a new park for residents and visitors and a new pedestrian bridge over Trenton Road.

Features from the former bank headquarters, built in 1972, will be incorporated into the redesign. A midcentury ceiling in the lobby will be restored, a bank vault will be repurposed as a social space, a drive-through pneumatic tube used with the bank will be used for paying rent, and part of the drive-through will be used for electric vehicle charging. 

“We’re excited to be developing an extraordinary apartment property offering amazing views in one of Downriver’s most iconic buildings,” said Gordon Begin. “We’re immensely grateful for the cooperation and assistance that Wayne County and the City of Southgate have provided to make this project possible.”

The project should be completed in 2025.