Building for the Future

Turning the Corner: The CCF’s new west side campus

By Sarah Kittle

As the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce celebrates its 20th year, the philanthropic arm of the Chamber, the Chaldean Community Foundation, reaches across Woodward to establish a presence on the ‘west side.’ The Corners, a property at Walnut Lake and Inkster Roads next to Market Square, will become the new Chaldean Community Center, housing administrative offices for the Foundation, Chamber offices, a gymnasium, a television and radio studio, classrooms, an amphitheater, and much more.

The deal closed recently for the West Bloomfield property, located approximately 3 miles north of the current Chamber offices housed in the old Bank of Michigan/Level One Bank building, presently owned and maintained by Ayar Law. This will be the third move for the Chamber, and the first into a building of its own.

The 7-acre property that will become the new Chaldean Community Center formerly housed an elementary school but has been vacant for years. Vandals had infiltrated the building and graffiti was splashed over the walls when Chamber staff reviewed the property. Plans for the 40, 142 square foot facility are ambitious and include a new 2,000 square foot lobby to unify the separate buildings and a reconfiguration of the existing parking lot to add 15 more spaces.

“We are greatly looking forward to assisting our clients with human and social services on the westside while offsetting the tremendous demand at our Sterling Heights facility,” said Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce and Chaldean Community Foundation president Martin Manna. “At the same time, we will be preserving and presenting our rich Chaldean culture through a wide range of mediums and platforms.”

The newly expanded Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) center at 15 Mile and Ryan is always busy and its lobby sits full of hopeful people requiring assistance. The need it serves has only grown since its inception decades ago, and the services it offers have expanded along with the building.

Some of those services and resources will also appear in the new center, such as classrooms for workforce training and a full court gymnasium, and others will be all-new, such as the television and radio/podcast studio.

“It’s been a long time coming,” says Cal Abbo, CN ace reporter and podcast host. “I’m excited to have a true film and sound studio at our disposal.” Abbo has been recording the podcast in the Chamber’s conference room with portable equipment. “The new media center will allow us to tell the great stories of Chaldeans in Detroit with even greater depth and clarity.”

The Chaldean Community Foundation spearheaded efforts to develop 135 units of affordable housing along the Van Dyke Corridor. The $30 million project, which includes retail as well as living spaces, is already underway, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Looking to the future, the organization is researching affordable housing options in Farmington Hills; long-term plans include the establishment of senior living residences to serve the aging members of the community and their families.

The new center will serve as a hub for a comprehensive range of community resources, including a business incubator, classrooms, a demonstration kitchen, a cultural archive and library, and a theater for educational forums and events.

“The proposed revitalization of this existing, abandoned building is symbolic of what the Chaldean Community Foundation and Chaldean Chamber both represent,” says Eavan Yaldo of Saroki Architecture, the lead on the project. “Space planning for both current and future needs was critical to the design process, and I am excited to see this project come to fruition.”

The 7-acre property has been vacant for several years and will undergo a multimillion dollar renovation.

Chaldean community center:
Before the renovation