The Lofts of Merchants RowDetroit, MI

The Pepper Shoe Building (built in 1898) was converted into 49 loft-style apartments, with 5,000 square feet of first-floor retail space as an addition to the Lofts of Merchants Row. Each floor above the retail space in the eight-story building was converted into one studio apartment, four one-bedroom units, and one two-bedroom unit. The project team also renovated a low ceiling, existing basement space to create a 1,000 square foot fitness center. The fitness center cost approximately $100,000. A significant challenge the team solved was incorporating new plumbing. They trenched the basement floor to reach the pipes, which they renovated to utilize gravity flow rather than a sump pump.