Corktown is a neighborhood located in Detroit, Michigan. It is the oldest extant neighborhood in the city. The current boundaries of the district include I-75 to the north, the John C. Lodge Freeway (The Lodge) to the east, Bagley and Porter streets to the south, and Rosa Parks Boulevard (12th Street) to the west. The residential section is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a City of Detroit Historic District. The neighborhood contains many newer homes and retains some original Irish businesses.

History

The Great Famine of Ireland of the 1840s resulted in extensive Irish migration to the United States and Canada. By the middle of the 19th century, they were the largest ethnic group settling in Detroit. Many immigrants had come from German provinces after the revolutions of 1848. By the turn of the century, the original Irish population had diffused through the city, and new immigrants, notably Mexican and Maltese, moved into this older housing. dedicated in 2006; the 66,000-square foot (6,100 m2) Quicken Loans Technology Center, opened in 2015; and the Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL) headquarters, and youth sports facility at the old Tiger Stadium site at Michigan and Trumbull Avenues, developed in 2016. Opposite the PAL facility, a $37-million mixed-use development, The Corner, with 111 apartments, and 34 townhomes for sale, broke ground in early 2018. Also in 2016, the new Trumbull & Porter boutique hotel opened after a $10 million renovation; and in 2017, Soave Enterprises broke ground on Elton Park, a multi-phase, multi-year $150 million, 420 apartment mixed-used development.

In 2024, Detroit City FC announced the acquisition of the site of the former Southwest Detroit Hospital with plans to build a new soccer-specific stadium. The goal is to have the stadium ready by the 2027 season.

Ford Corktown Campus

thumb|Built in 1913, the historic [[Michigan Central Station served passenger traffic until 1988, after which it was abandoned. Ford Motor Company purchased it in 2018. The building was renovated to become a mixed-use development which opened in 2024.]]

A major redevelopment push in the area was started by the Ford Motor Company, which began development on an urban campus in Corktown in 2017 with its purchase, renovation and occupation of The Factory building at Michigan Ave. and Rosa Parks Blvd. Ford later bought other parcels of land in Corktown, including the Michigan Central Station and the adjacent Roosevelt Warehouse. Ford plans a new $740 million Corktown campus, including 1.2 million square feet of mixed-use development spread over the Michigan Central Station, Roosevelt Warehouse, the Factory building at 1907 Michigan Avenue, and build a new mixed-use 290,000-square foot (27,000 m2), four-story building on the vacant brass factory building site, known as "The Alchemy", at 2051 Rosa Park Blvd. Ford also announced plans to build two new parking structures.

The focus of the Corktown campus will be on autonomous vehicles and electric vehicles. Ford expects to move 2,500 of its employees to the campus with space for an additional 2,500 entrepreneurs, technology companies and partners related to Ford's expansion into Autos 2.0. Ford is also seeking $104 million in tax breaks from the city as part of a $250 million incentive package over 34 years.

In 2020, Ford revealed a new site plan for its 30-acre Corktown Campus, a walkable Mobility Innovation District built around the Michigan Central Station that includes green spaces, new buildings, and community involvement.

Architecture

The original buildings in Corktown are Federal-style detached homes and rowhouses built by Irish settlers. A worker's row house circa 1840 is located on Sixth Street and is one of the oldest existing structures in the city of Detroit. Recent development plans aim to restore and reuse these historic pavers as part of the ongoing revitalization of the Michigan Avenue corridor.

Education

Residents are zoned to Detroit Public Schools. Residents are zoned to Owen at Pelham and King High School.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit operates the Most Holy Trinity School in Corktown. It is one of the four remaining Catholic grade schools in the city.

Notable resident

  • Sheila Cockrel, former Detroit City Council member

See also

  • North Corktown
  • New Center
  • Midtown
  • Mexicantown

References

  • Corktown Detroit, Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne University, Article detailing the history of Corktown and related material
  • "$148M Lightweight Materials Institute Opens in Corktown"—DBusiness, 16 January 2015
  • "National Innovation Institute Heading to Detroit’s Corktown"— DBusiness, 21 May 2014
  • Information about the Irish Community in greater Detroit, DetroitIrish.org
  • Detroit1701
  • Corktown Historic District, City of Detroit