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Ex-Joe Louis Training Site In Detroit To Become Restaurant

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says a long-closed recreation center where heavyweight champion Joe Louis once trained will house an upscale restaurant as part of a $50 million development project.

Duggan joined Joe Louis Jr., the developers and others outside the Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center to announce plans for the project.

It's going to include a restaurant operated by Curt Catallo, co-owner of the Vinsetta Garage restaurant in suburban Berkley.

The 52,000-square-foot recreation center closed in 2006 because of municipal budget cuts and was slated for demolition as recent as one year ago before Duggan put out a request for plans to redevelop the building.

Detroit opened the Central Community Center in 1929 and renamed it in 1969 for Leon Wheeler, the city's first black recreation worker.

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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