The affordable requirement was lifted from one of the four residential buildings planned for District Detroit because it will be student housing.

A big development project around downtown Detroit could miss out on some affordable housing, thanks to a new deal approved Tuesday by a state board.

Plans to build 54 affordable apartments in downtown's arena district have been nixed, marking another walk back from the initial promises of District Detroit's ongoing $1.5-billion expansion. Why it matters: The construction of affordable housing downtown was a key selling point for city and state officials who approved tax incentives in 2023 worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Stephen Ross' Related Cos.

District Detroit developers have abandoned plans for affordable housing in at least one building in the planned $1.5 billion development