In the late 1920s Lieutenant Commander R. Thornton Brodhead, the head of the Michigan State Naval brigade, led a drive to establish a new naval armory. The state of Michigan appropriated $250,000 for construction, and the City of Detroit provided the land and additional funds.

On October 6, 1930 the Detroit Naval Armory was dedicated. The structure, standing on the Detroit River just east of the Belle Isle Bridge, was designed by the Detroit-based architectural firm Stratton & Hyde, featuring an Indiana limestone-faced exterior and ceramic tile crests made of Pewabic Pottery. William Stratton was a veteran of the Michigan Naval Militia’s USS Yosemite Crew during the Spanish-American War.

Upkeep of the building was limited to primarily state funding, and as the armory opened during the Great Depression the Navy was forced to take advantage of the space they had to make money, hosting sporting events, rallies, and auto shows. Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke at the armory during his first campaign for the presidency and Joe Louis fought in the main area of the building in 1932.