GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A Michigan man is working to restore Aretha Franklin’s former home in Detroit.  

The stunning details of the Tudor Revival architecture had mesmerized Trevor Thomas for many years.

“It’s truly a beautiful spot because you have Palmer Park on the back side, so it’s quite a private space,” Thomas said.  

Thomas and his partner purchased the home on the 7th hole of the Detroit Golf Club to live in earlier this year.

He grew up in Marne and now works in communications and marketing. This will be the third property he has restored.  

“We expressed interest in 2019 after Miss Franklin’s death and then five years later received a phone call in February of this year asking if we were still interested,” Thomas said.  

The project is not for the faint of heart.  

The plan is to convert the nearly 7,000-square-foot home from seven bedrooms into six bedrooms. 

“I think a lot of people took a pass. There was certainly plenty of interest but it’s complex not just to do the deal itself but then also the restoration,” Thomas said.    

The work will require significant investment, given the scope of what needs to be restored. 

“Miss Franklin did not pass in the home she had lived in another property at that time and so it had been unused at the time but sometimes when the heat goes out and it’s not noticed the boiler pipes break and so that is what happened,” Thomas said.  

One of the biggest projects will be restoring the roof and will take years to finish. 

“To restore a slate roof is in the hundreds of thousands and so it will be at least a five-year project,” Thomas said.    

Thomas is allowing the public opportunities to see the home through the restoration process, which includes scheduled tours.  

“It’s a full-time residence but we have opened it up to anyone that may have interest because it is our passion and our heart,” Thomas said.   

Franklin was not the only prominent person to own the home.  

“Patricia Burnett was a world-renowned portrait artist doing the portrait of not only our First Lady Betty Ford but also Margaret Thatcher and others and went on to spearhead the expansion of the National Organization for Women,” Thomas said.

“I just learned along the way and so this has been a side hobby. It continues to be a side hobby. I love communications and marketing where I actually work but the reality is we have 36 amazing team members and they are true experts in their craft,” Thomas said.  

The goal is to restore the home and persevere Detroit history for future generations.  

“We’ll make sure that it’s not torn down and that it can go another 100 years,” Thomas said.  

If you want to donate to the restoration efforts, you can visit The Rose Estate Detroit GoFundMe page.