West Elm hotel no longer coming to Detroit

A bevy of new Detroit hotels have been announced in 2019 so far. One, at least, is being put on hold.

In 2018, the Roxbury Group said it would develop a 12-floor West Elm-branded hotel on Woodward Avenue next to the Bonstelle Theater for about $50 million. It was hoping to begin construction in 2020.

But West Elm has recently run into legal troubles, which has halted the furniture and home decor retailer’s expansion into the hotel business. It had plans for hotels in a number of cities, all of which likely won’t be opening anytime soon.

Roxbury told the Detroit Free Press that it still plans to open a hotel at the site and is in discussions with other operators. The project is slated for a 2021 opening.

The Bonstelle is being decommissioned by Wayne State University as part of its Hilberry Gateway Performance Complex project, which required the relocation of the David Mackenzie House on Cass Avenue. WSU plans on leasing the theatre to Roxbury in a 45-year agreement.