University of Detroit Mercy purchases former Detroit firehouse for legal aid clinics
Updated: Jan. 20, 2019, 11:37 p.m. | Published: Feb. 03, 2012, 6:01 p.m.
By Aaron Foley | afoley@mlive.com
University of Detroit MercyThe clocktower at University of Detroit Mercy
The University of Detroit Mercy will move its legal aid clinics to a historic Detroit firehouse downtown, the school announced.
Pending a renovation, the clinics are expected to be moved to the firehouse on Larned Street in December, just a half block away from the school's riverfront campus.
âThe entire School of Law community is thrilled that we will finally have an excellent facility to house one of the oldest and best clinical programs in the country,â UDM Law Dean Lloyd A. Semple said in a news release.
Funding for the firehouse's purchase and renovation comes from a principal gift made by UDM alumnus Anthony Asher, managing partner of the law firm of Sullivan, Ward, Asher, & Patton, as well as funds from the heirs of Walter Buhl Ford III, the last owners of the building, and the McGregor Fund.
The 6,000-square foot firehouse was built in the early1900s and was the base for the Detroit Fire Departmentâs Engine 2 for years. After the building was sold by the Detroit Fire Department, it changed hands several times but maintains much of its original design, which UDM plans to incorporate during its renovations.
"As a result of this new facility, more pro bono legal services will be able to be provided through the clinics due to the generosity of donors, many of whom are dedicated UDM alumni,â UDM President Antoine Garibaldi said in a news release.