Ruth Ellis Clairmount Center

The Challenge

The Ruth Ellis Clairmount Center in collaboration with Full Circle Communities is developing a new 44,000 square foot development on four vacant lots on Clairmont in Detroit just off the Woodward corridor. The new development will contain 43 units of permanent supportive housing for homeless or at-risk youth in a mixed-use facility. PEA Group, working with Landon Bone Baker Architects, was tasked with providing Civil Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Survey and Geotechnical Engineering for the project.

The Approach

PEA Group collaborated with the architect to develop a schematic plan for the site, which located the building, parking, walkways, landscaping, outdoor amenities, and utilities for water, sanitary, and storm sewer connections. Using the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) as a guide, the design included permeable pavement, rain gardens, and other Green Stormwater Infrastructure practices to minimize the development’s impacts on the City storm system and providing the opportunity to apply for Green Stormwater credits from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD).

Our team performed the geotechnical investigation for the site and provided recommendations and analyses related to earthwork operations and site preparation, shallow foundation, earth retention walls, floor slab support, and pavements.  PEA Group will also be performing construction materials testing services during the construction of the mixed-use facility.

The Results

The project is anticipated to begin construction in 2020 and begin fulfilling its mission supporting the at-risk population in 2021.