Future space for Lawrence Tech in Midtown Detroit.

DETROIT, MI - Architecture and design school Lawrence Tech will anchor a long-awaited development in Midtown at the corner of Woodward and Willis.

The project was announced Tuesday morning at Midtown Detroit Inc.'s annual Community Briefing.

The two-story, all-commercial building is scheduled to begin construction this summer and will take about a year, said Sue Mosey, executive director of Midtown Detroit Inc.

Amy Deines, of the Southfield-based Lawrence Tech, said the building will consolidate classrooms, a gallery and exhibition space, a consultant arm, a digital fabrication lab, and space for visiting scholars. The school now has space in Downtown in the Dime Building, in New Center, and a gallery on Woodward Avenue.

"It's a great opportunity to bring a lot of students into Detroit," Deines said.

The building is a long-planned structure on the vacant lot atWoodward and Willis. Mosey said plans for a mixed-use building fell through in 2008 when the economy collapsed. Five years later, the project is ready to move forward as an all-commercial building anchored by Lawrence Tech with additional space for "Class A" creative companies.

Mosey credited Lawrence Tech for making the project happen.

"We really need an anchor tenant to move forward," she said.

Mosey and Deines announced the project Tuesday during a rundown of dozens of projects in the works for Midtown and its surrounding neighborhoods. Mosey detailed millions of dollars in development underway or in the works, ranging from new bike lanes to huge apartment buildings.

"Housing, housing, housing" is Midtown Detroit Inc.'s main focus, Mosey said. With occupancy rates at 96 percent, she said she's heard from many people who wanted to move into Midtown, but couldn't find an apartment.

Mosey said there are 1,000 units of housing at various stages of development in Midtown. One major project: The Forest Arms building at 4625 Second Ave. The long empty building that survived a fire in 2008 is close to renovation, Mosey said. Past plans called for 70 apartments in the building.

"Within two months we're going to have this thing closed," Mosey said. "It's the highest priority project for our organization at this point."

Mosey also said work would begin within 30 days on the former Agave restaurant building on Woodward. Plans call for four apartments upstairs and a restaurant downstairs. Midtown Detroit Inc. bought the building to control its use, Mosey said.

"One of the reasons we wanted to own this property is to ensure it remains a restaurant," she said.