Building, East Village, since 1931
The Kean
No demolition on record
- Opened
- 1931
- Style
- Art Deco
- Standing
- 95 years
The Kean has stood on E. Jefferson Ave. in East Village since 1931, 95 years and counting. Who built it, what makes it special and how to see it for yourself.
What is there now
Standing
- Electrical permit Replacing DTE 4.8kV service with standard DTE secondary commercial 240V 3PH service Source: City and county building permits
We checked building permits, sales, listings and the city's blight and demolition files on October 24, 2026. Nothing new at this address in the last two years.
The story
In 1931, as Detroit pushed through the Depression, The Kean opened in East Village.
It was built in the Art Deco style, and it still reads that way from the sidewalk.
The National Register of Historic Places listed it in 1985.
Next time you are nearby, stop at 8925 E. Jefferson Ave and look up.
The Kean is an apartment building located at 8925 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, directly adjacent to the Hibbard Apartment Building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
Timeline
- 1931 Built Art Deco
- 1985 Listed on the National Register October 9, 1985
- 2025 Electrical permit October 7, 2025
- 2026 Today 95 years and still standing
Where it is
8925 E. Jefferson Ave.
On this map
- 1 The Kean This place
- 2 Kean Apartments 120 ft
- 3 Hibbard Apartment Building 180 ft
- 4 Monteith Elementary School 440 ft
- 5 Jeffersonian Apartments 0.1 mi
- 6 North One Apartments 0.2 mi
- 7 Pilgrim and Puritan Apartment Complex 0.2 mi
- 8 Marvin Stanton Home 0.2 mi
- 9 Robert W. Smylie House 0.2 mi
Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors
More from Detroit in the 1930s
-
Brodhead Naval Armory
Building, built 1930, Art Deco/Art Moderne, by Stratton & Hyde
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Denby High School
School, built 1930, Art Deco, by Smith, Hinchman & Grylls
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Ambassador Bridge
Structure, built 1929, by Jonathan Jones
Photo: Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
David Stott Building
Skyscraper, built 1929, Art Deco, by John Donaldson
Photo: Einar Einarsson Kvara aka Carptrash, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Cooley High School
School, built 1928, Mediterranean Revival, by Donaldson & Meier, demolished 2026
Photo: Chuckjav, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
El Tovar Apartments
Building, built 1928, Art Deco, by Robert J. West
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Around the block
It is in East Village. See the neighborhood's homes, pros and story.
- Kean Apartments Building, built 1931, Art Deco, by Charles Noble 120 ft
-
Hibbard Apartment Building
Building, built 1924, Renaissance Revival
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
180 ft
- Monteith Elementary School School, built 1906, by Malcomson & Higginbotham 440 ft
-
Jeffersonian Apartments
Skyscraper, built 1965, by Gino Rossetti
Photo: The original uploader was Mikerussell at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
0.1 mi
- North One Apartments Building, built 1930, Art Deco / Spanish, by Gay John B. 0.2 mi
-
Pilgrim and Puritan Apartment Complex
Building, built 1924, Neoclassical / Commercial Brick, by Charles N. Agree
Photo: Jermaine Rivers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
0.2 mi
- Marvin Stanton Home Built 1899 0.2 mi
- Robert W. Smylie House Built 1900, in Indian Village 0.2 mi
Photo credits
Every photo on this page is used under its license, named here with its author and a link to the original.
- The Kean Detroit MI Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sources
Facts only, gathered from these sources. The story above is written by Rebuild Detroit. Every photo names its author and license where it appears.