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Detroit issues permit for new townhouse building in North Corktown

Detroit issues permit for new townhouse building in North Corktown

Built World Detroit, MI local

Phase III of Preserve on Ash III: eight two-bedroom townhomes at 3106 15th St.

October 19th, 2026: Detroit permits North Corktown townhouses

Overview

Updated Oct 23

Detroit issued a building permit Oct. 19 for a two-story townhouse building at 3106 15th St. in North Corktown. Permit BLD2025-00655 covers eight two-bedroom, 1.5-bath units at a contractor's estimated $2.3 million, though its use field lists 10 units.

The building is the townhouse piece of Preserve on Ash III, a 60-unit affordable project spread across lots on 14th, 15th and 16th streets. Preserve on Ash III Limited Dividend Housing Association LLC is the developer, and the units carry affordability restrictions. In October 2025, the state housing authority and the city said they intended to back the project with project-based vouchers, HOME funds and Choice Neighborhoods money.

Why it matters

Eight restricted-rent townhomes on a North Corktown lot show whether Detroit can turn vacant parcels into housing people can afford.

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Key Indicators

$2.3M
Contractor's estimated construction cost
Estimate filed with permit BLD2025-00655 for the townhouse building.
8
Townhouse units authorized
Eight two-bedroom, 1.5-bath units in a two-story building.
10
Permit's unit-use classification
The permit's use field lists 10 units; the work description specifies eight townhouses.
60
Units in Preserve on Ash III
52 apartments in three buildings plus the eight townhomes at 3106 15th St., all under affordability restrictions.

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Organizations Involved

Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department
Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department
Municipal department
Issued permit BLD2025-00655 on Oct. 19; oversees inspections and the certificate of occupancy

The City of Detroit department that issues building permits and conducts construction inspections.
PA
Preserve on Ash III Limited Dividend Housing Association LLC
Developer
Building the 60-unit Preserve on Ash III project, including the eight townhomes permitted at 3106 15th St.

Michigan company developing the 60-unit Preserve on Ash III affordable housing project in North Corktown.

Timeline

1 event Latest: October 19th, 2026 · 3 weeks ago

  1. Detroit permits North Corktown townhouses

    Latest Permit

    BSEED issues permit BLD2025-00655 for a new eight-unit townhouse building at 3106 15th St., Phase III of the project.

Scenarios

1

Corktown townhouses completed as Detroit adds housing

Possible Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: City of Detroit BSEED records; analysts tracking Detroit's housing supply

The developer builds the two-story building at 3106 15th St. and BSEED issues a certificate of occupancy, required for new construction. The eight units then enter the rental or for-sale market, adding supply to North Corktown.

2

Permit lapses; North Corktown project never breaks ground

Possible Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: Detroit's history of lapsed building permits

Construction doesn't meaningfully start, or halts partway, and the permit expires without a certificate of occupancy. Many Detroit permits go unused, leaving empty lots where buildings were planned.

3

Design changes before construction at 3106 15th St.

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: BSEED permit amendment records

The developer amends the permit to change the unit count, layout, or structure before building, and the final certificate of occupancy reflects a different building than the original eight-townhouse plan. Permit amendments are routine in larger projects.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

Mid-1900s to 2020s

Detroit's multi-decade population decline

Detroit lost a large share of its population over several decades as manufacturing jobs left, leaving thousands of abandoned homes that were eventually demolished. The city's housing inventory is now lower than in most of the country.

Then

Blocks of vacant lots and scattered abandonment reshaped neighborhoods, including North Corktown.

Now

A shrunken housing stock now faces renewed demand; the city has been rewriting zoning to make new construction easier.

Why this matters now

This permit is new supply in a city where demolition long outpaced construction, a direct reversal of that trend.

2000s-2025

Michigan's declining housing affordability

Michigan once built enough housing to be known for affordability, but construction lagged and the state fell to 33rd nationally in housing affordability, according to the Mackinac Center. A housing shortage has pushed up prices.

Then

Rents and home prices rose faster than local wages.

Now

State and local officials now treat housing supply as a policy priority, with Detroit's zoning reforms as a leading example.

Why this matters now

New units like the 3106 15th St. townhouses are the supply cities are trying to add to ease cost pressure.

Sources

(5)
+1
City of Detroit Open Data Portal City of Detroit Mackinac Center for Public Policy City of Detroit City of Detroit / MSHDA