Restoring a faded palace

Scenes from a city, beginning anew

Scott Lowell on the roof of the Forest Arms. WSU's Old Main building is in the background.

Workers braved the snow and cold Wednesday at The Forest Arms apartments south of Wayne State University as its $10 million renovation continues. Move-in for new residents is about a year away, said Scott Lowell, who owns the building with his wife, Carolyn Howard. The four-story structure, at W. Forest and Second, suffered heavy damage in a 2008 fire, but Lowell and Howard – who own the nearby Traffic Jam restaurant – are using the rehab to modernize the building, which is 109 years old and looks it: There are arched brick window frames, remnants of dumb waiters and decorative nymphs surrounding the entrance. When the building opened in 1905, its well-heeled tenants had fireplaces and large spaces, which were later subdivided. By the 1970s, the mainly student clientele was watched over by an elderly manager who walked the pot-scented hallways, rattling her keys.

Rents are not yet set for the new Forest Arms, which will have 70 mainly one-bedroom units, and will include five penthouse apartments and a roof deck; geothermal wells; a 20,000 gallon tank whose water will flush toilets, as well as retail outlets. Lowell said there will also be a soundproof room in the new basement that can be used for band practice, or for “someone who wants to just come down and scream.” – Bill McGraw