The site of one of Detroit’s former “Chinatowns” is set for a $2.4 million redevelopment including a revamped streetscape with dining patios, space for outdoor markets and community events, landscaping, and lighting.
Nonprofit development group Midtown Detroit Inc. announced the plans on Monday, including $1 million secured from the state’s budget.
“This streetscape project is one important way that we can lift up Asian American history, Chinese American history, preserve a cultural district, and support small businesses by investing in neighborhood infrastructure,” Michigan Senator Stephanie Chang said. “Peterborough Street is a vital connector in Detroit’s historic Chinatown and in the greater Midtown.”
The Cass Corridor neighborhood was once a hub of Detroit’s Asian communities, after the city’s original Chinatown near Corktown was razed to make way for the Lodge Freeway. In the later 20th century, the neighborhood was known for Asian American businesses and community centers including the former Chung’s restaurant, which closed in 2000. The building, which has since been renovated, still has its distinct red awning. A similar pagoda-style structure serving as a welcome sign to the district also stands nearby.
Though the Cass Corridor’s old Chinatown saw a decline over the decades as metro Detroit’s Asian American communities moved elsewhere, recent developments have paid homage to the district’s past. Last year, a sign designating a stretch of Peterboro Street as Vincent Chin Street was installed, named after a man who was beaten to death by two autoworkers in 1982, sparking a nationwide movement for civil rights for Asian Americans.
The Peterborough Street project is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
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