Owners of the former Chung’s building on Peterboro are still looking for tenants after completing renovations on the building this spring. 

For decades, Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine at 3175 Cass Ave was a staple in Detroit’s historic Chinatown before closing in 2000, and has sat vacant since. American Community Developers purchased the deteriorating building in 2023 with the goal of housing Asian restaurants in the three-unit building, in a nod to its history. A few months ago, the development group completed renovations on the building including a new, signature red roof. The renovation is one of several ongoing projects to revitalize the historic Chinatown, including a planned July block party and $1 million in state funds for streetscape redesign. 

Although the ACD wasn’t required to conduct community engagement, vice president Mike Essian said he did with various local Chinese and neighborhood groups, which highlighted a priority to fill the building with Asian food businesses. 

“We’re trying to keep the corner space right at Cass and Peterborough committed to a Chinese restaurant since that’s what it was –everybody knows historic Chung’s,” he said. 

The restaurant, which got its start in 1940, used to make and sell 4,000 egg rolls each week and attracted Chinese, Black and Jewish residents, and even former Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young. 

“The other two spaces in the building… those would be for more broadly Asian concepts, but we are definitely keeping it Asian themed,” said Essian. 

Essian said they’ve had “a lot of inquiries and a lot of interest” but so far haven’t found the tenant for the space yet. The terms are flexible, but Essian said they’re generally quoting for $20-$30 per square foot. The building is completely renovated and ready for move-in. 

“We’d love to get somebody in here as soon as possible,” he said. “When we do identify the tenant and assign a lease agreement with them, we can kind of hit the ground running.” 

Essian said he collected feedback from the Detroit Chinatown Vision Committee, Brush Park CDC, New Detroit Inc., the Detroit chapter of the Association of Chinese Americans and others. 

The building reopening comes amid larger revitalization efforts of the former Chinatown, which relocated to the Cass Corridor after being displaced by urban renewal from the original location at Third and Porter. 

Last year, $1 million in state funds was announced for streetscape improvements in the old Chinatown, including potentially a Chinese-style gateway, art and lanterns.

On June 23, American Citizens for Justice is hosting an unveiling of a secondary street sign at Cass and Peterboro to honor Vincent Chin, a Chinese American beaten to death in Detroit in 1982, because he was Asian.

In late July, the Detroit Chinatown Vision Committee is set to host a free, inaugural block party to celebrate culture and local businesses, featuring live DJs and cultural performances, and tours to learn about Chinatown’s history. The committee is currently accepting vendor applications and donations for the block party scheduled for July 26, noon to 8 p.m. at Cass and Peterboro. 

The Vision Committee was formed following the controversial 2023 demolition of the building that housed the Chinese Merchants Association Hall. The 140-year-old building at 3143 Cass Avenue was owned by Olympia Development of Michigan, the real estate arm of Ilitch Holdings Inc., at the time of demolition.

Curtis Chin, whose family owned Chung’s restaurant, told BridgeDetroit in 2023 that he was “a little sad” he didn’t have capacity to come back and reopen the restaurant when he heard the news of the redevelopment. 

“It’s a little sad, but it’s also good for progress in terms of bringing back that Chinatown in a small way,” he said.