Designed by William S. Joy & Company, the Alhambra Apartments were built in 1895. They are located in the Cass Park Local Historic District in Detroit.

The building is often misattributed to architect John R. Gentle.

The building is six-stories, but its units were large, leaving space for only 24 apartments. When it opened, the Alhambra served the upper-middle class. One of its first occupants was Harvey S. Firestone, who later started the Firestone Tire Co.

In the 1970s, the building was operating as the Hotel Embassy, but reverted to an apartment building at some point.

The building has been owned by the Ilitch family's Olympia Development of Michigan since 2009, when they paid $650,000 for it (about $971,000 in 2024, when adjusted for inflation). The building was closed at the time of the sale, and has continued to be boarded up ever since.

In April 2016, the Alhambra was included in the Cass Park Historic District - a move that Olympia Development opposed and led to a months-long battle. Buildings included in local historic districts must receive City approval to be demolished.

In 2017, Olympia Development announced that the Alhambra would be converted into 46 units of housing and ground-floor retail. Work was to start in 2018, but, as of January 2025, has not begun -- more than seven years after its redevelopment was announced.

More on this building coming soon.