The historic Vanity Ballroom will be restored to its heyday glory. Photo Source: Facebook Lisa Schmidt
Detroit is now home to the first designated National Treasure in Michigan. The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced that the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood on the city’s east side will receive funds for redevelopment and restoration of its buildings. The designation is the result of collaboration between The NTHP, residents of the area, Jefferson East Inc., Preservation Detroit and the Michigan Historic Preservation Network. Executive director of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, Nancy Finegood describes the area as an “unusual treasure” due to it being “one of the few early 20th-century commercial districts that still survive in Detroit … ranging from three-story mansions to bungalows, modest ranches to Arts and Crafts homes.” Proactive community efforts over the past few years have resulted in rehabbed apartment buildings, protected bike lanes, and new retail stores.
Executive director of JEI, Josh Elling, believes the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood has great potential for continued growth because of its location, commercial structures, and engaged residents. Like many areas around the city, entrepreneurs and organizations have engaged with residents to facilitate its revival.
A focal point and long term goal of the renovation plans is the restoration of the Vanity Ballroom. The National Treasure designation was announced at a ceremony held on Wednesday, Sept. 7 outside of the ballroom. Built in 1929, the historic gem was a premiere venue for legendary musicians like Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway; it closed in 1988. The interior and roof will require extensive rebuilding, but the foundation is intact. Plans also include renovating two apartment buildings, relocation of Elling’s company into one of the existing buildings and a Caribbean restaurant.
Detroit has undergone a bevy of growth and revitalization despite its ongoing struggles. Recovery is slow, yet it’s ongoing. While this latest achievement is welcome news to many, detractors are skeptical about it’s implications and wonder if it’s a well disguised plan for gentrification. Several of those involved with the Jefferson-Chalmers project have expressed intentions to preserve and improve the community without displacing its current residents. This the NTHP’s first project under the National Trust’s ReUrbanism initiative. According to National Trust spokesman, Juvenio Guerra, “ReUrbanism refers to promoting healthy and adaptive reuse as a way to revitalize urban neighborhoods.”
National Treasures are significant historic places; there are only 70 in the United States. With the support of thousands of local preservationists and preservation professionals, the National Trust is identifying endangered places and taking action to save them “to make sure icons of the past remain in the future.”
