First Henry Glover House condos hit the market

A historic home in Brush Park that was up for demolition has been saved, and after five years of hard work, the first luxury condos in the Henry Glover House are hitting the market. 

The house was built in the late 1800s and reminiscent of many of the historic homes we lost in Brush Park over the decades with its Second Empire style, brick exterior, intricate details, and mansard roof. It had been abandoned and was exposed to the elements for years. In 2015, Brush Park CDC Board Member Jeff Cowin and Sue Mosey of Midtown Detroit Inc. advocated to save the structure after the city threatened to demolish it. After they proved that it could be saved with detailed architectural and development plans, paid for by private citizens, the Brush Park CDC rallied and were able to convince the city to remove it from the demo list. The property was then listed for sale in 2017. 

The property was purchased in 2017 by Doug Quada, who said most of what was left was a brick shell. The team spent the first year stabilizing the property so they could work on it. 

In 2021, I visited the site with owner Doug Quada. At that time, the condos inside the house had been framed out. Since then, sidewalks and parking spaces have been added to the property, along with a carriage house. Inside, the first two condos are complete, with the next four finishing and listing soon. 

It wasn't easy working with a home like this, from getting it ready for a rehab to dealing with different sizes and shapes inside the nearly 150-year-old home and then working through the pandemic. He kept as much woodwork and detailing as he could to keep the integrity and history of the home.  "It feels awesome to get to this point," says Quada. "A lot of detailed work went into this, which took a lot of time, but I wanted it to feel right."

The first condos are listing for $579,000. They're 1,489 square feet with two bedrooms, two baths, 11-foot ceilings, heated flooring in the bathrooms, Thermador appliances, a private deck, and an extra room for an office or storage.

Bill Swanson of O'Connor Real Estate says that this has been a labor of love for Quada, and these are unique and special properties in Detroit. "The level of craftsmanship and attention to detail are evident throughout the property. A lot of thoughtfulness went into this work. Instead of just flipping the property, he made it a home."

The house sits in the middle of Brush Park, walking distance to the sports arenas and downtown Detroit. It's also close to Eastern Market, Midtown, the Detroit Medical Center, and Wayne State University.

The team has been meticulously documenting the rehab on their facebook page. A new website was recently launched with details on the units and neighborhood.

This Saturday, February 18 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., an open house will be held for prospective buyers. Next Saturday and Sunday, February 25 and 26, the owner will be giving tours of the entire property. More information can be found here. 

See the gallery at the top for more interior photos. 

• 229 Edmund Place (Realtor.com)