dedicate this building for the people of the city of Detroit, regardless of race, color or creed. I realize that much prejudice exists in Detroit, but a building of this kind will wipe it out" The 1930s brought major changes to the surrounding community of the recreation center. Housing officials using government funding chose Black Bottom as the site of the new Brewster Homes. The Brewster Project began construction in 1935 when then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt broke ground on the new housing development. Over the next 20 years the housing project would grow into the largest residential project owned by the city of Detroit. Primarily very low-income African American families would occupy the projects. The Brewster Homes would engulf the recreation center consisting of mostly low-rise apartment structures. It would not be until the 1940s and 50's that the larger apartment structure complexes would be added to the housing development. The towers alone were home to over 10,000 local residents and a majority of them used the recreation center as a place on entertainment, learning, and shelter. The desirability to live in the Brewster homes began to decline in the 1960s due to a lack of maintenance and housing standards by the city. In combination with the construction of Interstate-75, which displaced thousands of black residents and wiped out the surrounding culture housed on Hastings Street the surrounding area began to move into despair. Crime increased and the surrounding community was in disarray. The Brewster Center was the only place of safety and shelter for a majority of the residents still residing in the housing development. It was not until 1969 that the recreation center was named the Brewster-Wheeler Recreation Center. It was renamed in honor of Leon Wheeler. Leon Wheeler was the cities first black recreation employee in 1919. Wheeler managed the recreation center from 1919 to 1945. In his tenure he established programs including swimming, boxing, track, tennis, drama, and dancing. Over 81 different clubs met at the center's six classrooms every day. The Brewster-Wheeler Recreation Center was a place of safety and growth for thousands of children. It gave the children an outlet other than the streets through its athletic programs, and summer classes. The recreation center grew harder to maintain in the later years. The center turned to donations from famous alumni such as University of Michigan and NBA star Chris Webber. Webber was responsible