Michigan Historic Preservation Network

As we get closer and closer to the Friday awards ceremony, we're featuring another of our 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award honorees.

2026 Lifetime Achievement Award — Dan Austin, Detroit

For over two decades, Dan Austin has been one of Detroit's most dedicated and passionate historians. Through his research, writing, and photography, he has transformed how we understand the city's architectural and cultural legacy. As the founder of HistoricDetroit.org, Dan has documented hundreds of Detroit’s landmarks, both lost and still standing, ensuring they are never forgotten.

Dan does much more than simply catalog history. By championing the preservation of Detroit's built heritage, he has fostered a deeper connection to the city's identity for everyone—whether they are residents, visitors, or simply people fascinated by its unique history.

To secure this vital work for future generations, Dan recently launched the Austin Past & Future Fund. This initiative will keep the online archive accessible as a free public resource and provide educational scholarships for young Detroiters committed to uplifting their communities. The Michigan Historic Preservation Network honors his enduring contributions and lasting impact on Detroit’s history.

Our Awards Ceremony is only one week away! In the next few days, we're wrapping up this series with our 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award honorees. First up is one of Detroit's own!

2026 Lifetime Achievement Award — Rainy Hamilton Jr., Detroit

Rainy Hamilton Jr. has spent his career doing exactly what he set out to do: rebuilding Detroit one building, one block, one neighborhood at a time.

A native Detroiter and graduate of Cass Tech and the University of Detroit-Mercy, Rainy co-founded Hamilton Anderson Associates in 1994. The firm has grown into the largest African American-owned design firm in Michigan, with a portfolio that reads like a map of Detroit's revival — the Hamilton Midtown, Brush Park's City Modern Project, the Motown Museum Expansion, the Paradise Valley Cultural and Entertainment District, and many more.

Throughout, historic preservation has been central to his practice, always grounded in his belief that good design starts with understanding what's already there. He has been recognized with Fellowship by the American Institute of Architects, served on the Michigan Board of Architects, and has played a meaningful role in shaping Detroit's long-term planning through the Detroit Future City Strategic Framework. His commitment to equity and inclusion within the profession has been just as deliberate and just as lasting as his built work.

Congratulations Rainy!

2026 Tax Credit Award — Residences at St. Matthew, Detroit

St. Matthew Catholic School in Detroit's East English Village educated over a thousand students at its peak before closing in 2008. After nearly a decade vacant, the school and its activities building have been thoughtfully transformed into 46 affordable residential units — 25 of them dedicated to permanent supportive housing for individuals who have experienced homelessness.

The rehabilitation preserved the buildings' brick and limestone exteriors, historic terrazzo floors, plaster walls, and even classroom chalkboard frames. The former gymnasium is now a shared gathering space for residents.

A layered financing structure combining historic tax credits, low-income housing tax credits, and city funds made it possible. Historic preservation and housing equity, working toward the same goal.

Project Team:
Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan
Cinnaire Solutions
Ethos Development Partners
Fusco, Shaffer & Pappas, Inc.
Zeimet-Wozniak & Associates
Felino Pascual and Associates
Shymanski & Associates
MA Engineering
Kidorf Preservation Consulting
O’Brien Construction
Laslo Regos Photography
KMG Prestige
Henry Ford Health
Capuchin Soup Kitchen
St. Matthew Catholic Church

[As we prepare to gather in Metro Detroit for the MHPN Annual Conference, we’re publishing a series of posts highlighting our 2026 MHPN Awards Program honorees. The ceremony will be held Friday evening, May 8, at the Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores. Registration is now closed, but learn more about MHPN and the conference, visit the conference webpage at https://www.mhpn.org/conference/.]