Built in 1913, the Assembly began its life as a warehouse for dry-goods wholesaler Edson, Moore & Co., serving as a vital link in Detroit’s early commercial supply chain. It was designed by prolific Detroit firm Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, today known as SmithGroup.

After the company relocated in 1958, the structure entered a long chapter as a beautiful but simple storage building, quietly aging alongside the city’s changing industrial landscape.

In 2016, it was given new purpose through a thoughtful reinvention as a mixed-use destination that celebrates, rather than conceals, its industrial past. Original wooden floors, graffiti-marked brick walls, concrete columns, exposed duct work, and factory lighting were preserved and woven into the new design, maintaining the building’s authentic character.

Today, the former warehouse is a vibrant vertical neighborhood, with retail and dining along West Fort Street, flexible office space on the upper floors, and loft-style residences above, all offering beautiful views of the Detroit River and the downtown skyline. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Nov. 27, 2017.