Peterson Rich Office (PRO) and OSD (Office of Strategy + Design) have transformed an underserved Detroit neighborhood into a destination for the arts.
Called Little Village, the project encompasses three-and-a-half acres of new green space designed by OSD Principal and Creative Director Simon David. What were parking lots, alleyways, and vacant lots are now an interlocking series of parks. The centerpiece is pedestrian walkway dubbed the Nave—formerly a desolate alley that leads to a cultural arts center, a repurposed church called the Shepherd—that anchors the campus.
In adapting the 110-year-old Romanesque church building, PRO was careful to honor the structure’s integrity while modifying it to accommodate new programming, such as gallery spaces, live performances, and art installations. The Shepherd opens to the public later this month with a retrospective on the life and career of prominent Detroit artist Charles McGee (1942–2021), creator of the “Unity” mural seen on the exterior of the Detroit Institute of Arts. Little Village also honors the artist with the Charles McGee Legacy Park, which features large-scale sculptures McGee conceptualized before his death.
The Shepherd also houses the Little Village Library, curated by Asmaa Walton of Black Art Library, honoring artists of color who have made significant contributions to the arts in Michigan.
Little Village is the brainchild of Anthony & JJ Curis, co-founders of Library Street Collective, an organization supporting Motor City’s creative renaissance. A recently announced expansion of the Little Village project will include a waterfront redevelopment.
PRO Principals Miriam Peterson and Nathan Rich note that Little Village and its anchor attraction, the Shepherd, are helping lead Detroit’s evolution as a major arts-and-culture destination. “The Shepherd reshapes an institution that built community around religion, to one that will build community around the arts,” Peterson and Rich said in a joint statement. “Anthony and JJ's commitment to expanding access to arts in the city of Detroit is nothing short of transformational. Our firm is honored to play a role in this special project.”
Additional adaptive-reuse projects within the broader Little Village campus will debut alongside the Shepherd, with more slated to open in 2024. These include:
ALEO: This boutique bed-and-breakfast will host artists and guests seeking a cultural retreat. Set to open this month, the project will feature works from nearly 30 Detroit artists or those with deep Detroit roots. ALEO also serves as the headquarters for McArthur Binion’s Foundation and nonprofit organization Modern Ancient Brown, which provides residencies, mentorship, and resources to BIPOC artists and writers.
Bridgehouse: Ishtiaq Rafiuddin of Detroit-based studio Undecorated converted two former farmhouses into culinary spaces, one of which features a new pâtisserie by James Beard award-winning chef Warda Bouguettaya.
Father Forgive Me: This new cocktail bar will occupy the church’s former garage.
The LANTERN: Just blocks from the Shepherd, a former bakery will open its doors as a mixed-use space housing arts non-profits, affordable artists’ studios, and a recording studio for a local record label, as well as retail and culinary endeavors.
Later this year, Louis Buhl & Co., sister gallery to Library Street Collective, will also relocate to the neighborhood, taking over a former convent building.
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