Historic Detroit

Every building in Detroit has a story — we're here to share it

Southwest Hospital

Mayor Young cut a bandage draped across the front door of Southwest Detroit Hospital on Friday Oct 4, 1974 to mark the official opening of the $21 million facility.

Situated at the corner of Michigan and 20th St., the five-story, 250-bed hospital was the culmination of a merger involving four outdated midtown hospitals — Boulevard General, Burton Mercy, Delray General, and Trumbull General.

Designed for the healthcare needs of a community of 200,000 residents in southwest Detroit, an area then already plagued by a chronic shortage of medical facilities, the new hospital offered an array of services including satellite and urgent care clinics, nuclear medicine, intensive care, cardiac care, intermediate care units, and inhalation therapy.

The funding for this project came from from various sources, including the United Foundation's Capital Fund Division, the federal Hill-Burton hospital construction program, the Kellogg Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and the local community.

The hospital filed for bankruptcy and closed doors in 1991.

More on this building coming soon.

Last updated 27/03/2024