Former Detroit Fire HQ To Become Upscale Boutique Hotel

By Edward Cardenas

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) - Developers have released details of the $28 million renovation of the former Detroit Fire Department Headquarters into a 100-room upscale hotel.

Aparium Hotel Group stated it will be oversee the redevelopment of the historic building, built in 1929, into an independent hotel that will feature "a deep appreciation for Detroit's past and a celebration of its promising future," according to the company.

"Aparium Hotel Group's investment in Detroit and plans to restore a historic landmark into a destination boutique hotel is exactly what our city has been waiting for," said Mario Tricoci, Chief Executive Officer / Managing Partner, Aparium Hotel Group, in a release. "We are inspired to be part of making Detroit a city beyond industry – a city of ideas, verve and unmatched enterprise."

Aparium also announced the new hotel will be called The Foundation Hotel, and will open in late 2015. When it opens, it is expected to employ more than 100 full- and part-time jobs.

The hotel, which will be called The Foundation Hotel, will include a ground floor restaurant in the former fire engine hall and will partner with "local distillers, brewers, farmers, and purveyors," developers added.

Additionally, developers stated the restaurant will feature a "destination prix fixe experience" which will be an incubator for up-and-coming chefs and a platform for chefs who have left the area.

"Aparium Hotel Group's investment in Detroit and plans to restore a historic landmark into a destination boutique hotel is exactly what our city has been waiting for," said Dan Mullen, VP of Leasing and Development for Bedrock Real Estate Services, in a release. "Detroit's real estate market is prime for unique retail, housing and hotels."