A long-neglected jewellers’ building in downtown Detroit is set for a comeback as a hotel.

The Metropolitan Building, designed by local architects Weston and Ellington during the 1920s, was home to goldsmiths, silversmiths and diamond cutters in its heyday but has been disused since 1977.

Hotel brand Element, part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts group, has now revealed plans to transform the Neo-gothic site into a 110-room accommodation with shops on its lower levels.

‘We look forward to introducing Element to Detroit with this exciting adaptive reuse project that will retain the historic charm of the Metropolitan Building,’ said Brian McGuinness, senior vice president of Starwood’s Specialty Select Brands.

As part of the plans, the hotel brand will restore the brick, granite and terra cotta facade of the 14-storey building. The run-down interiors are in line for an overhaul but Element will retain the Metropolitan’s ornate detailing in the lobby.

Element Detroit at the Metropolitan Building – as the hotel will be called – is expected to open in July 2018.