The Lansing Housing Commission is breathing new life into a century-old building that once housed workers from the REO Motor Car Company. The Washington Apartments, sitting vacant since 2021, will be transformed into 50 affordable senior housing units as part of a $200 million investment surge in the city.
Located at 927 S. Washington Ave. in Lansing’s REO Town neighborhood, the 43,390-square-foot structure was originally built in 1922 to serve workers at the nearby REO Motor Car Company plant. The city ordered the building vacated in 2021 due to its deteriorated condition.
The building’s addition to the National Register of Historic Places in April 2024 made it eligible for tax credits that will help fund the renovation project…