Stanton Yards in Detroit–with design contributions from SO – IL and OSD–repurposes old maritime buildings into an arts complex that provides the public easy access to the riverfront.
images by bloomimages Stanton Yards in Detroit–with design contributions from SO – IL and OSD–repurposes old maritime buildings into an arts complex that provides the public easy access to the riverfront.

New York-based firm SO – IL and multidisciplinary design firm OSD (Office of Strategy + Design) are transforming an industrial marina into an artistic hub as part of Detroit’s growing cultural renaissance.

Called Stanton Yards, the project will repurpose a 13-acre marina, with plans calling for more than 80,000 square feet of commercial and creative spaces, 85 boat slips, and scenic waterfront parks. Facilities within the historic site include a WWII-era U.S. Navy shipyard, a former theater, marina showrooms, and service shops, all of which will be readapted as cultural amenities.

OSD is tasked with crafting a master plan for the site, integrating existing structures with new a waterfront restaurant and office building. Sustainability and cultural enrichment are at the forefront of the design, with a focus on reconnecting the community with the riverfront. To draw visitors from the city to the river, new facades along Jefferson Avenue will create a porous entryway to the waterfront where guests can explore and play.

"The ethos that 'new ideas must use old buildings' guides our transformation of Stanton Yards into a thriving, multifaceted community,” says Florian Idenburg, co-founding principal of SO – IL. “Revitalizing these old structures catalyzes innovation and creativity, transforming the site into an incubator for fresh ideas. In the spaces between, we envision a platform for diverse community-focused programming.”

Greenspaces between the buildings will offer cultural programming.
Image by bloomimages Greenspaces between the buildings will offer cultural programming.

The project is part of a broader effort among creative types to revitalize Motor City as a major arts-and-culture destination. This is evident in Little Village, a neighborhood redeveloped as a hub of cultural spaces, affordable housing, parks, and hospitality services. What was a collection of vacant buildings is now a vibrant block anchored by The Shepherd, a 110-year-old church repurposed as an art gallery. Stanton Yards is an expansion of Little Village, a project spearheaded by Anthony and JJ Curis, co-founders of the downtown art gallery Library Street Collective.

Facilities within the historic site include a WWII-era U.S. Navy shipyard, a former theater, marina showrooms, and service shops, all of which will be readapted as cultural amenities.
Image by bloomimages Facilities within the historic site include a WWII-era U.S. Navy shipyard, a former theater, marina showrooms, and service shops, all of which will be readapted as cultural amenities.

The Curises shared their vision for Stanton Yards, saying that the project is “an extension of the community-based principles we’ve applied to other cultural developments in Little Village. The adaptive reuse will breathe new life into a series of maritime buildings while transforming the storage-based marina into a public asset on the waterfront.”

For his part, Simon David, OSD principal, believes Stanton Yards is poised to become a dynamic public space, offering a blend of arts, recreation, and ecological experiences, noting that the project is “designed from the outside-in, merging nature, structures, and new buildings, seamlessly uniting the community with the waterfront.”

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