A new hotel development in Corktown received key funding from the Michigan Strategic Fund this week. The seven-story Godfrey Hotel was approved for over $5 million in state and local brownfield tax capture this week, paving the way for the new construction to move forward.
The hotel will rise at the site of a vacant white brick building along Michigan Avenue close to downtown; the building was once the home of Lions admin offices and a cab company. The building will be demoed and the site remediated for this project.
The Godfrey Hotel will bring 227 hotel rooms to the historic neighborhood. The hotel promises a ground floor restaurant, a ballroom, and a rooftop deck. In addition, the development plans include landscaping, sidewalk improvements, and brick walkways. It's expected to create 160 full-time jobs.
Detroit has seen a number of hotels opening in the last four years, including the Foundation Hotel, the Siren Hotel, and the Shinola Hotel downtown, and Trumbull and Porter around the corner in Corktown. Construction is underway downtown at the Cambria Hotel on West Lafayette.
After this past year, it might be hard to see the demand for a new hotel, but it will sit in a prime location between the new developments from Ford around Michigan Central Station and downtown.
Chicago-based Oxford Capital is working with Hunter Pasteur on the project. When complete, it will be the fifth Godfrey Hotel in the country.
