DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[DetroitSky]

Real Estate Insider: It's harder to find space in prime downtown office buildings, report says (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/voices-kirk-pinho/real-estate-insider-its-harder-find-space-prime-downtown-office-buildings-report)

The 21 most in-demand office buildings in and around downtown Detroit are more than 92 percent leased.

That's according to the annual Detroit Skyline report from the Royal Oak office of Chicago-based brokerage firm JLL, which has been compiling this data for a few years.

At 7.7 percent vacant, those buildings have filled up a little bit since last year, when their combined square footage of nearly 10.8 million square feet of the city's primo office space was 8.8 percent empty. The vacancy rate was 7.5 percent in 2017.

Rents have also continued to be driven upward, now at $24.99 per square foot, up a whopping $1.52 per foot from last year, when they were $23.47. Even that was nearly a $1 jump from 2017, when they were $22.55 per square foot.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/SkylineFromMonarchClub-03_i.jpg

'Diner Food On Steroids' For Meat Eaters And Vegans Slated For Midtown Detroit (http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/23353/diner_food_on_steroids_for_meat_eaters_and_vegans_slated_for_midtown_detroit)

Darius Statum, owner of Views Bar & Grill on Grand River and Telegraph on Detroit's west side, is venturing into Midtown with a late-night carry-out restaurant he describes as "diner food on steroids."

He hopes to open by December.

Interestingly, he says the restaurant at 4200 Woodward Ave. will have two names: "Any Vegan Way" and "Views To Go." The vegan kitchen will be separate from Views to Go, which will offer items like lamb chops, chicken wings and catfish.

[LMich]

Real Estate Insider: It's harder to find space in prime downtown office buildings, report says (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/voices-kirk-pinho/real-estate-insider-its-harder-find-space-prime-downtown-office-buildings-report)

I guess I see why they are pushing the schedule of the Hudson Block forward in relation to the schedule for the Hudson Tower, which was originally supposed to begin to rise, first. The obstruction evaluations with the FAA for the Block were finaled last week.

The tower cranes:

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=417114911&row=0
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=417113668&row=19

The Block:

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118597&row=17
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118598&row=18
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118599&row=19
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118603&row=0
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118606&row=1
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118607&row=2
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118610&row=3
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118611&row=4

BTW, speaking of obstruction evaluations, it looks like the new Wayne County Criminal Justice Center is going to be 140 feet tall:

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=418065037&row=16

[Detroit]

I guess I see why they are pushing the schedule of the Hudson Block forward in relation to the schedule for the Hudson Tower, which was originally supposed to begin to rise, first. The obstruction evaluations with the FAA for the Block were finaled last week.

The tower cranes:

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=417114911&row=0
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=417113668&row=19

The Block:

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118597&row=17
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118598&row=18
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118599&row=19
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118603&row=0
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118606&row=1
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118607&row=2
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118610&row=3
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=416118611&row=4

BTW, speaking of obstruction evaluations, it looks like the new Wayne County Criminal Justice Center is going to be 140 feet tall:

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=418065037&row=16

Is Barton Malow/Bedrock stating that they are seeking a permit for a tower structure that will be 450' above grade?

[LMich]

Said it in the post; tower cranes for the Block.

[Detroit]

Said it in the post; tower cranes for the Block.

Ah I get it now. The way “the tower cranes” and “the block” had their own set of links led me to believe “the tower cranes” were crane permits for the tower portion and “the block” were crane permits for the block portion. I understand now

[shawring]

Hi, I saw some activity at the Monroe blocks early this week, they were digging holes in the parking lots, you know what's going on ?

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/attachment.php?attachmentid=39016&d=1569861137

[seabee1526]

Teasing us?

I think someone said they were getting soil samples?

[DetroitSky]

Developer of ‘Up’ and ‘Lorax’ homes finishes duplex, starts new apartment building next door (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/10/7/20902808/alex-pereira-woodbridge-home-development-apartments)

Alex Pereira is best known for renovations of Woodbridge homes inspired by literary and Disney stories like “Up,” “The Lorax,” and “Alice in Wonderland.” He also saved the J.D. Baer house, which was vacant for 50 years.

The theme for his latest home has yet to be revealed, though it’s already just as colorful as his others. The duplex at Willis Street and Rosa Parks Boulevard, built in the late 1800s, now has yellow siding, blue trim, and some red accents. There’s also a hand-tinseled address plate, with two more being made for the third-story windows.

Inside, wood from the adjacent demolished shotgun house was salvaged and used as molding for the windows, doors, and baseboards. The upper unit has a neat lofted space that could be an ancillary space for guests.

On the adjacent lot, Pereira is developing his first-ever ground-up project. Construction for the foundation has begun on the six-unit apartment building. Each place will have its own private deck and parking spot.

The two-bedroom, two-bathroom units in the three-story structure will be about 700 square feet and go for $1,500 to $1,600 a month. Two units will have lower rent and be reserved for those making 80 percent of the area median income (around $42,000 per year).

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iPt3H8ETFPffoGbAgnSviemAmg8=/0x0:4032x3024/920x613/filters:focal(2474x1076:3118x1720)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65409917/IMG_20190929_085255.0.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Js7hdQsAwQAwzEHArpmVtPXXAao=/0x0:1280x720/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1280x720):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19266667/front.jpg
^Looks like a nice little infill development

TCF Center to become largest LEED-certified building in Michigan (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/environment/tcf-center-become-largest-leed-certified-building-michigan)

Detroit's 59-year-old convention center will become the largest LEED certified building in Michigan when it is awarded the second highest green building certification on Wednesday.

TCF Center, recently renamed from Cobo Center, has earned the gold level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating, also known as LEED, developed by Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council, according to a media advisory.

The certification is given to buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/TCF%20Center_i_1.jpg

Michigan awarded $500K grant to rehab historic Detroit church (https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/michigan-awarded-500k-grant-to-rehab-historic-detroit-church)

DETROIT - King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit, a nationally-prominent historic site in the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, is getting a new breath of life.

The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office has been awarded a $500,000 African American Civil Rights grant from the National Park Service, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today. The funding will be used to rehabilitate the roof of the historic church.

The grant will fund the roof work with the goal of protecting the building to stop further weather damage while a plan for its reuse is developed. Funded work will also include construction drawings, insulation, shingles, drain slopes and drains, metal edging, copper valleys and saddles, and repair and replacement of fascia trim.

https://bobcat.grahamdigital.com/image/upload/view?width=630&height=353&method=fit&url=https://media.clickondetroit.com/photo/2019/10/07/King%20Solomon%20Baptist%20Church_1570462818822.jpg_22364547_ver1.0.jpg

[LMich]

The Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center was formally opened, today:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EGRIT0tWsAUTmVr.jpg

https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons/status/1181183893497532421

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EGTkFNRUUAAwyFK.jpg

https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons/status/1181319786762047488

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EGTGNfBU0AAmwHm.jpg

https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons/status/1181286944023760896

Good to have them fully back in Detroit, now.

[DetroitSky]

Hotel concept Sonder to open 168 units in 2 downtown Detroit buildings (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/hotel-concept-sonder-open-168-units-2-downtown-detroit-buildings)

Sonder Inc. expects to open 168 of its apartment-like short-term rentals in two buildings in downtown Detroit beginning next month.

Forty-five of the one- and two-bedroom units are expected to be available for rent in the former Lawyers Building at 139 Cadillac Square while the remaining 123 are expected this winter in the former Gabriel Richard Building at 305 Michigan Ave.

Ellen Schulz, the Chicago-based general manager of the properties, said Sonder, which is headquartered in San Francisco, "brings consistency and quality of a hotel stay with a space that feels like an apartment."

Sonder operates in 22 cities across the globe.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/LawyersBuilding-main_i.jpg

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/GabrielRichardBuilding-01_i.jpg

Detroit might soon have interactive kiosks amid privacy concerns (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2019/10/08/detroit-might-soon-have-interactive-kiosks-amid-privacy-concerns/1754613001/)

Detroit — Dozens of interactive booths with free Wi-Fi, suggestions for dining and shopping or finding an open shelter bed for the homeless might soon be sprouting up downtown.

The Downtown Detroit Partnership has entered into a 15-year agreement with Ohio-based IKE Smart City that calls for the installation of at least 30 kiosks in the city's core and neighborhood districts, said Eric Larson, the partnership's CEO.

The new technology is planned amid tensions in Detroit over privacy concerns tied to the use of traffic-mounted cameras, real-time feeds to the police department's crime center and facial recognition software.

The kiosk technology — often equipped with high-definition security cameras — has also raised privacy concerns in some cities over unwanted surveillance and other features that may provide a user's personal information to third parties.

Detroit is believed to be the first city deploying IKE kiosks without cameras, Larson said, but the terminals can be retrofitted later on "if everybody is comfortable with it."

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/10/07/PDTN/6d3e5a1e-97f6-434f-ad5e-246118d39954-kiosk.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

Get an early taste of Heidelburgers, a forthcoming restaurant from the Heidelberg Project (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/dining/2019/10/09/heidelburgers-restaurant-planned-heidelberg-project-2020/3919734002/)

The artists behind the world-famous Heidelberg Project are preparing to open a burger restaurant to feed the hungry visitors to their outdoor art installation.

According to founders Tyree Guyton and Jenenne Whitfield, Heidelburgers will serve an assortment of burgers developed by accomplished chef and caterer Jeffrie Toney. Besides a traditional beef patty, they'll serve turkey burgers with a bit of spice, and meat-free burgers called Veggie Baby and the Vegan Volt.

Heidelburgers will also serve french fries, sweet potato fries and slaw.

Whitfield said the restaurant will be in the Heidelberg neighborhood, which is also home to their new headquarters. They'll host a pop-up event, which is nearly sold old, at the HQ later this month.

"The restaurant will happen in 2020," said Whitfield. "If all goes well with the pop-ups and we get the following that we hope, it will be spring and summer of 2020."

[SperamusMeliora]

Residential, commercial project planned for historic Woodbridge neighborhood (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2019/10/09/woodbridge-neighborhood-detroit-redevelopment-school/3922618002/)

Planning is underway for the redevelopment of two major sites in Detroit’s historic Woodbridge neighborhood.

Co-developers and nonprofits Woodbridge Neighborhood Development and Cinnaire announced this week that they’ve selected Columbus-based MKSK for planning services for the redevelopment of buildings and new residential and commercial projects, and green space in the neighborhood.

The project will include creating a design and development guideline for the vacant Hancock School.

Part of the plan includes seven acres just southwest of the former school along Rosa Parks Boulevard.

Detroit's contemporary art museum to undergo 'top-to-bottom' renovation (https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/arts/2019/10/10/mocad-detroit-contemporary-art-museum-eco-aware-makeover/3917748002/)

At Friday's 13th annual gala and benefit art auction, MOCAD will officially launch its Future Fund campaign to raise $15 million for capital improvements for a museum that shows the best and latest in the visual arts, but also serves as a hub for music, literary events, community gatherings and more.

There are plans to transform the gravel parking lot in ways that allow it to double as a multipurpose plaza.

There also are plans for a hybrid heating and cooling system that uses natural ventilation to make air-conditioning more efficient and cost-effective at the same time.

One of the most visible changes would be the revamp of MOCAD's outdoor space into a greener, inviting campus that ties together the museum and "Mobile Homestead" and becomes a place for people to meet and hang out.

There are also plans for a restaurant to replace MOCAD's existing cafe.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/10/09/PDTF/a5d91281-0d5f-464f-bfa6-5f7783603fb0-MOCAD_-_New_Entrance.jpg?width=800

[DetroitSky]

Really glad to see this:

GM Detroit plant would get $3 billion investment to stay open (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/automotive/gm-detroit-plant-would-get-3-billion-investment-stay-open)

General Motors has agreed to invest $3 billion in the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant to build electric pickups, vans and battery modules, according to a copy of the proposed contract obtained by Automotive News. The plant, which was scheduled to close in January, would employ 2,225 people at full capacity, GM told the union.

The investment represents one-third of the $9 billion that potentially would be spent on GM's U.S. plants, including $1.3 billion in indirect investments, if striking UAW members ratify the tentative agreement reached Wednesday. The $7.7 billion in GM investments pledged in the agreement would create or retain about 9,000 jobs through 2023.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/GM%20UAW%20strike%20Flint%20plant_Bloomb_i.jpg

Coworking firm Venture X to open with 22,000 square feet downtown next year (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/coworking-firm-venture-x-open-22000-square-feet-downtown-next-year)

Another coworking office space location is heading to Detroit.

Venture X has signed a lease of 22,000 square feet in the downtown building at 220 W. Congress St. owned by developer and landlord Roger Basmajian. Vik Panchal, the Venture X franchisee for the space, declined to reveal build-out costs, rental rates and franchise agreement specifics, and contractors on the project. He expects availability in the first quarter of next year.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/220WestCongress_i.jpg

Quicken Loans opening Detroit medical office to serve 17,000 Gilbert employees (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/health-care/quicken-loans-opening-detroit-medical-office-serve-17000-gilbert-employees)

Giant downtown Detroit employer Quicken Loans Inc. is opening its own medical center at the top of the First National Building.

The Rock Health Collective is aimed at the 17,000 workers of the mortgage lender and other Dan Gilbert portfolio companies clustered around downtown, such as real estate firm Bedrock LLC, which owns the 26-story tower. It officially opens Tuesday, though dozens of employees received care last week.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/rock%20health%20collective%20pharmacy-01_i.jpg

Wayne State celebrates completion of $151 million student apartment complex (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/wayne-state-celebrates-completion-151-million-student-apartment-complex)

The Anthony Wayne Drive Apartments, a $151 million apartment complex at Wayne State University in Detroit, has been completed.

The 406,800 square-foot 840-bed student housing and retail project is Wayne State's largest student housing structure cost-wise, Tim Michael, associate vice president of student auxiliary services and chief housing officer, said in a statement emailed to Crain's.

The first phase of the project — an 11-story center tower with 400 beds — was completed in August 2018.

The last phase added two wings of six and eight stories on either side of the central tower. Those towers added apartments for 440 residents as well as a 9,000-square-foot Campus Health Center on the ground floor of the north tower and more retail space, the school's website says.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/Anthony%20Wayne%20Apartments_i.jpg

German-centric brewery and pub Lagerhaus No. 5 appears in Eastern Market (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/food-drink/german-centric-brewery-and-pub-lagerhaus-no-5-appears-eastern-market)

A German-inspired brewery, brewpub and beer store has been quietly in the works in an Eastern Market warehouse, and now it's near opening.

Curt Wimmer, a semi-retired Detroit emergency physician and one of the founding organizers of the now-closed Villages Bier and Weingarten in Detroit's West Village, has been spearheading Lagerhaus No. 5's creation for more than two years.

Its name is now painted on a building at 1529 Adelaide St., and Wimmer expects to open in several weeks. His co-owners are longtime area brewer Scott King and paramedic James Ryder.

Lagerhaus will brew its own traditional-style beer — it has a brewing unit with a 22-barrel capacity — and serve Hungarian- and German-inspired food. Wimmer declined to disclose the chef's name, saying it is still "confidential."

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/lagerhaus%20eastern%20market_i.jpg

[DetroitSky]

The Schvitz to undertake major restoration of upstairs ballroom (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/10/15/20916002/the-schvitz-north-end-detroit-ballroom-restoration)

And now, the 4,000-square-foot upstairs ballroom, which has its own entrance, is set to be renovated. The Schvitz was recently awarded a $40,000 Motor City Match grant for the work. Lynch expects the initial phase will cost around $400,000.

Updates to the space will include adding skylights to the 20-foot vaulted ceiling; daylighting many of the 16 large windows; and adding a mezzanine, portable bar, stage, and rooftop access with a deck. The building will also need a new roof and HVAC.

This first phase is largely about making the space functional again, though Lynch says he ultimately wants to restore the ballroom to its “original grandeur.” Principal design is being done by Anthony Morin of Omilian and Morin Architecture and Design.

“The first two years have been labor of love, about bringing an old place back. This is a much bigger project,” Lynch says. “The downstairs operates like a community rec center or nonprofit—there’s just not enough income to fully restore the building. The only way it can brought back to life fully is if we can activate the ballroom.”

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZxPV85qrcmxJa6rTHlMeqv7U2Z8=/0x0:2048x1365/920x613/filters:focal(861x520:1187x846)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65474570/Schvitz_124.0.jpg

Here's what the windows looked like originally:

http://www.garysosnick.com/OABH1930/images/oldoakland.jpg
Source (http://www.garysosnick.com/OABH1930/oabh3.html)

A look inside the recently redeveloped State Savings Bank (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/10/17/20919071/state-savings-bank-downtown-detroit-bedrock-redeveloped)

The 14,640-square-foot main room can be the perfect backdrop for a fashionable event or fundraiser. “Event planners have ultimate flexibility to use this amazing space as a backdrop and do their own thing on top of it,” Yuhasz says.

Weekend rentals cost $7,500 per day and weeknights are $5,000.

It will continue to be used as an event space through 2021, at which point Bedrock will reevaluate. There’s an undeveloped second floor—which overlooks the lobby similar to a mezzanine—and a smaller third floor. Bedrock says it’s open to proposals from the right office or restaurant tenant.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jl3FIgItCMwkOBf-ZSp_S34kDaA=/0x0:2048x1265/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1265):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19295658/StateSavingsBank_20141221_008_2048px__1_.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3epFRryBDBsu72fS340l7i5z-Jg=/0x0:2048x1365/920x613/filters:focal(861x520:1187x846)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65490256/StateSavingsBankBuilding_20190701_010.0.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BBngkQevpU0qC1a2FVe-DRKIkJw=/0x0:2048x1365/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19295672/StateSavingsBankBuilding_20190701_007.jpg

^I always thought this would be the perfect location for the Automotive Hall of Fame, if they ever follow through on their commitment to move to Detroit from Dearborn.

Group looks to bring live music back to Belle Isle (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/10/18/20920691/live-music-belle-isle-remick-band-shell)

Musicians like Ober could once again take the stage at Remick if a new effort to revive the structure is successful. The nonprofit Music On Belle Isle Group (MOBIG) is in the process of organizing, raising funds, and raising awareness for the project.

The Remick Band Shell, just west of the Belle Isle Aquarium off Loiter Way, is one of the last major undeveloped features of the island.

While ideally it would like to renovate the band shell, MOBIG president Craig Strain says the group’s top priority is to establish a music venue on the island, and for a return to the days prior to the 1980s when concert bands, symphonies, and similar acts made music in the park. If a Remick renovation proves too costly or impractical, the group may try to build a new shell elsewhere on the island.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dzQOvXFNX9xtDaihRZQ2VVrs5MY=/0x0:3855x2886/920x613/filters:focal(1526x1007:2142x1623)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65497640/Remick_3.0.jpg

[Johnny Ryall]

The historic renovations in this thread are out of this world. Absolutely beautiful.

[SperamusMeliora]

I took some photos of the projects around town today.

HFHS Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavillion:
https://i.imgur.com/wTUm6HS.jpg

DMC sports medicine facility by LCA:
https://i.imgur.com/es7a2G5.jpg

Columbia Street:
https://i.imgur.com/eFv7Tlj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/w696iUC.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/t31g85v.jpg
(I really like this mechanism for sliding the bollards out of the way)

Abandoned railway demolition along Jefferson between Rosa Parks and Ambassador Bridge:
https://i.imgur.com/r0fp0Q3.jpg

Joe Louis Arena demolition:
https://i.imgur.com/6QbZrnN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/EFPXvL7.jpg

[DetroitSky]

^Nice update! I finally got around to shooting some photos around downtown this morning. Demolition is in its early phases at Michigan Mutual Liability Annex, which will be replaced by TCF Tower. Here's one of the final renderings for the tower that was posted on SSC:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EEHjTCaU4AQ7X4V.jpg
Source (https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=2113327)

Definitely an improvement over the original two designs.

Sterling Group seeking to redevelop Joe Louis Arena site
(https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/sterling-group-seeking-redevelop-joe-louis-arena-site)

A Detroit-based real estate company is nearing a deal to redevelop the site of Joe Louis Arena, which is being demolished, Crain's has learned.

Sterling Group, which was founded by TCF Bank Executive Chairman Gary Torgow in 1988 and is now run by his adult children, is the previously unknown developer working to get the site to which New York City-based Financial Guaranty Insurance Corp. has development rights, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

If it finalizes — Detroit City Council is expected to begin consideration of it this week — it would be another high-profile deal for the Torgow family, and the latest chapter in the effort to reuse the site of the former Detroit Red Wings home along the Detroit River.

A City Council agenda released Monday lists First & Congress Management LLC as the proposed buyer of Joe Louis Arena and its parking garage for $14.1 million. That entity is registered to Eli Halpern, general counsel for Sterling Group, according to state business records.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/JLA_7455_i.jpg

^No details yet, but this could be huge. Hopefully the infrastructure in that area is drastically improved, though. I feel like anything built there besides a Cobo/TCF Center expansion or another arena/soccer venue? would be an instant failure if things stay how they are.

Curbed Detroit (https://detroit.curbed.com/maps/dan-gilbert-detroit-development-mapped) released a list today of Dan Gilbert's biggest projects. Nothing new here, but its a nice roundup.

[DetroitSportsFan]

From the article:

City council documents also released Monday say that the Sterling Group affiliate "proposes to design and construct a high density mixed-use development" on the site, although specifics are not yet known. They also say that the deal saves the city about $7 million, with $3 million of that being for Joe Louis Arena parking garage repairs and another $4 million for environmental remediation of the arena site.

Assuming this means it won’t just be a tcf expansion then. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a hotel connected to the convention center as per of it.

[DetroitSky]

The first tower crane sections were delivered to the Hudson's Site today, as seen in this video. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GWiT7S2WnM)

[SperamusMeliora]

This makes me mad. :mad: :hell:

United Artists Building developer seeks tax abatements, plans to tear down theater (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/united-artists-building-developer-seeks-tax-abatements-plans-tear-down-theater)


Developer seeks $2.43 million in property tax abatements for $56 million redevelopment of United Artists Building

United Artists Theatre attached to the 18-story tower targeted for demolition

Long-delayed project now expected to start in the first quarter next year, be complete by mid-2021

It's the first forward momentum in the effort to turn the 18-story building at 150 Bagley St. into 148 apartments since it was announced about 2 1/2 years ago as part of the Ilitch family's District Detroit area's residential plans.


I do partially agree with the one comment currently on the article; I don't know if they proposed it, but I do think it will end up as another surface lot.

[DetroitSky]

Unbelievable that Edward Moten is partially behind the demolition proposal right after the Detroit Saturday Night Building fiasco. Honestly, though, I’m not surprised they want to demo the theater. I’d be much more surprised if they planned on restoring it. This is an ignorant, short sighted and infuriating decision, but given the Ilitch’s track record, not really a shock.

[DetroitSky]

Majestic Theatre's new marquee gives Woodward a touch of classic old-school (https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/brian-mccollum/2019/10/25/majestic-theatre-marquee-renovation-detroit/2456617001/)

After 15 months of construction, the renovated facade at Detroit's Majestic Theatre is nearly complete — including a newly installed marquee harking back to the venue's early years.

Crews worked overnight this week mounting the vintage-style neon sign, several months after limestone and granite work was completed at the Woodward Avenue complex in Midtown. An unveiling event will be scheduled once lighting touches are finished in coming days.

The marquee, designed and constructed by Spectrum Neon Co. in Madison Heights, is modeled on the sign that adorned the Majestic in the 1930s, decades before the theater became one of Detroit's go-to rock venues.

"We have a preservationist attitude," said manager Dave Zainea, whose family has owned the Majestic since 1946. "We want to keep the integrity of the old look and keep it historical. We think that's important."

It's part of an ongoing $1 million makeover of the 104-year-old complex, which also houses the Magic Stick, Garden Bowl and Alley Deck. The Majestic Cafe, which occupied the street-facing side, was closed last year to make way for the theater's expanded lobby.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/10/25/PDTF/f7c05022-bdbd-4a75-bdaa-652e8bf1f8f7-102519_MajTheatre_AMB-3.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/10/25/PDTF/d488fe12-519b-4742-a6e9-292992a804e0-102519_MajTheatre_AMB-1.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

Quicken Loans to Add 1,800 Positions After Closing $40B in Home Loans in Third Quarter (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/quicken-loans-to-add-1800-positions-after-closing-40b-in-home-loans-in-third-quarter/)

Detroit’s Quicken Loans Inc. announced Thursday it has closed $40 billion in home loans in the third quarter, the highest quarterly volume in the company’s 34-year history. Mortgage volume also hit a record high in September with $15 billion of closed loan volume, which the company expects to surpass in coming months.

As a result of 2019’s growth, Quicken Loans has outpaced its total mortgage volume from 2018 ($83 billion), and has surpassed its highest-ever full-year mortgage volume ($96 billion in home loans), which it attained in 2016.

As part of its rapid growth, the company is looking to fill 1,800 open positions in entry-level to specialized roles. It is seeking mortgage bankers, QLMS account executives, underwriters, software engineers, data scientists, paid interns, and more.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/10/Quicken-Loans-1.jpg

HarvestFest Detroit to Inaugurate New Robert C. Valade Park on Riverfront Saturday (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/harvestfest-detroit-to-inaugurate-new-robert-c-valade-park-on-riverfront-saturday/)

The fifth annual HarvestFest Detroit, which celebrates fall in the city and this year the grand opening of Robert C. Valade Park, takes place Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. and features activities for the entire family.

The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and the Molly and Mark Valade Family Fund announced in August that the newest public space along the waterfront would carry former Carhartt Inc. chairman and CEO Robert C. Valade’s name and open in the fall. Carhartt, based in Dearborn, was founded in Detroit in 1889 by Hamilton Carhartt.

The free outdoor festival at the new park, located at 2670 Atwater St. (between Stroh River Place and the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre) in downtown Detroit, moves from its previous Dequindre Cut location.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/10/Atwater-Beach-Aerial.jpg

Developer of B. Siegel Livernois Project in Detroit Targets Fourth-quarter Completion Date (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/developer-of-b-siegel-livernois-project-in-detroit-targets-fourth-quarter-completion-date/)

The redevelopment of the B. Siegel department store at 19031 Livernois Ave. on Detroit’s west side is nearing completion and should be finished by the end of the year, according to JLL, the Chicago-based commercial real estate developer in charge of the project.

When complete, the redevelopment will add more than 29,000 square feet of mixed-use space to the Detroit neighborhood, including retail, dining, and office space.

Detroit Vs. Everybody, Brix Wine Bar, and Lacquered already are signed as tenants while the anchor corner of the development is being marketed to established restaurant operators. The restaurant space features a rooftop patio with views of the Livernois Streetscape, which also is expected to be finished before the end of the year.

The streetscape includes underground parking, increased ease of access to the local businesses, and pedestrian-friendly walkways.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/10/B.Siegel-600x300.jpeg

Chicago’s Coyote Logistics Moves into The Assembly Building in Corktown (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/chicagos-coyote-logistics-moves-into-the-assembly-building-in-corktown/)

Chicago-based Coyote Logistics, a UPS company, has opened its 58,000-square-foot office in The Assembly building in Detroit’s Corktown district. The Assembly is owned and operated by Bedrock Detroit, and Coyote now occupies the development’s second and third floors as one of the building’s largest tenants.

Coyote expects to add 200 to more than 500 employees in the next three years, with 100 expected to start in the new location in 2020. Their roles will focus primarily on customer service, sales, and business development. The company’s former hub, located in Ann Arbor, will close its doors this fall.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/10/Coyote-Logistics.jpg

Pistons, City of Detroit Complete $2.5M Renovation of 60 Basketball Courts (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/pistons-city-of-detroit-complete-2-5m-renovation-of-60-basketball-courts/)

The Detroit Pistons and the City of Detroit recently put the finishing touches on 17 refurbished basketball courts, completing a two-phase, six-year, $2.5 million program to refurbish 60 courts within parks.

Completion of the Phase II courts comes a week after the team opened the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center, a $90 million training center and corporate headquarters in Midtown.

“Our move downtown has been a huge win for our franchise and for the community,” says Tom Gores, owner of the Pistons. “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and the way the city continues coming together. At the same time, we are still just getting started. Efforts like the parks program are further extending our reach and will allow us to make an even bigger impact.”

Court refurbishments in Phase II included single basketball courts at Optimist-Stout Park, Dequindre-Grixdale Park, Keller Park, Adam Butzel Park, Palmer Park, Tolan Playfield, and Piwok Park. Double court refurbishments were made at Van Antwerp Park and O’Hair Park while six courts were redone at Lasky Park.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/10/Pistons-Court-Refurbish.jpg

This article briefly mentions how a local rapper plans to reopen the Apex Bar in The North End by fall 2020. (https://www.modeldmedia.com/features/bryce-detroit-102219.aspx)

https://www.modeldmedia.com/FilterD/images/nh_20190918_1866.jpg?s=f

[DetroitSky]

Detroit plant now producing self-driving vehicles with Waymo (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2019/10/28/detroit-waymo-self-driving-vehicles/2459915001/)

Detroit — Not only is Detroit building vehicles people can drive, but now it is producing vehicles that can drive themselves.

John Krafcik, CEO of Google self-driving affiliate Waymo LLC, said Monday that its Detroit plant is operating and outfitting fleets of vehicles with its autonomous driving hardware and software. The milestone allows the Alphabet Inc. subsidiary to put its automated "driver" into vehicles at mass scale. Doing so will help Waymo, an acknowledged leader in the self-driving space, to test its technology and expand its robotaxi service.

"We've just opened the world's first dedicated autonomous plant," Krafcik said during an interview at Forbes Under 30 Summit at the Masonic Temple. "We call it a factory."

In April, Waymo said it was leasing and would repurpose a plant owned by American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. on its Detroit headquarters campus bordering Hamtramck. The $14 million investment puts the Silicon Valley tech company at the center of the North American hub for automakers, suppliers and engineering talent. It also sits across the Detroit River from the Windsor assembly plant that produces Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans it uses in its self-driving fleet.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/10/28/PDTN/87118dd4-600b-4b93-8b0f-544fc94617b7-Waymo_plant.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

Road closures, wall design, and other Gordie Howe Bridge updates (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/10/28/20936954/gordie-howe-international-bridge-detroit-windsor-updates)

The bridge authority is asking residents to weigh in on their favorite of three designs for a Jefferson Barrier Wall.

This landscaped perimeter will be built outside the U.S. point of entry and run parallel to West Jefferson Avenue from Campbell to Green streets. In addition to an 8-foot high security wall, there will also be a multi-use path and landscaping with “native pollinator-positive plantings.”

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/S2uG32B4vbs0JZ8aD67d0Z5YA1E=/0x0:1900x760/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1900x760):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19325973/Option_1_1.jpg
One of three designs for the Jefferson Barrier Wall

Three bridges in southwest Detroit will soon be gone. In order to accommodate ramps on the Michigan Interchange connecting to the U.S. port of entry, bridges over I-75 on Springwells Street, Clark Street, and Livernois Avenue will be demolished.

The other major piece of work currently taking place is the construction of 12 large, drilled shafts on both sides of the Detroit River. These 120-foot long pylons that weight over 143,300 pounds will be the main support structure for the bridge.

This work will continue through 2019.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yA-P-cTRVNbyOuY4yQ4BrExLkZs=/0x0:2359x1266/920x613/filters:focal(992x445:1368x821)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65569688/GHIB.0.jpg

This article (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2019/10/29/harbortown-development-has-neighbors-worried-views/4057123002/) mentions the construction of Waters Edge II in Harbortown, which previously hadn't been announced to my knowledge. More info here. (https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/2019-09/Tower%20Construction%203500%20E%20Jefferson.pdf)

Bloomfield Hills-based AF Jonna Development plans to build a five-story, 202-unit apartment building and 11 townhomes with parking on 6.88 acres to be completed in 12-16 months. The developer is asking for approval of a zoning ordinance amendment that would allow the development known as Waters Edge II.

Hopefully the NIMBYs don't kill this one. Sounds like it'll be approved, though. It seems like it'll look like the first phase of Waters Edge at Harbortown, seen here:

https://tritonproperties.com/assets/waters-edge.jpg
Source (https://tritonproperties.com)

[DetroitSky]

Ross, Gilbert teaming on $300 million UM innovation center at former jail site in Detroit (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/ross-gilbert-teaming-300-million-um-innovation-center-former-jail-site-detroit)

New York City real estate mogul Stephen Ross and Detroit entrepreneur Dan Gilbert are teaming to build a $300 million University of Michigan graduate school campus at the one-time site of Wayne County's failed jail project in a development billed as transformative for the east side of downtown.

The planned Detroit Center for Innovation will feature a 190,000-square-foot research and graduate education building for UM students in automotive mobility, artificial intelligence, sustainability, cybersecurity, financial technology and other tech fields.

"The whole idea of that is using (the innovation center) to get companies to relocate to Detroit and take advantage of the talent coming there," Ross said in an exclusive interview with Crain's.

Gilbert's Bedrock LLC and Ross' Related Cos. will co-develop the rest of the 15-acre former jail site to include mid-rise residential buildings for UM graduate students, incubator space for new tech businesses and a boutique hotel and conference center inside the former Detroit Police Department headquarters, a project pegged at $120 million that recently surfaced before City Council in a tax abatement request.

All told, the innovation center project could top $750 million in cost, Ross said.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/Detroit%20Center%20for%20Innovation%20view%20from%20Gratiot%20Ave-Main_i.jpg

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/U-M%20Detroit%20Innovation%20Center%20rendering-02_i.jpg

HUD denies recommending demolition of United Artists Theatre (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/10/29/20938700/demolition-united-artists-theatre-detroit-hud-moten)

Emmett Moten told Detroit City Council that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) deemed it necessary to demolish the United Artists Theatre in order to redevelop the rest of the downtown building. HUD says that’s false.

“HUD did not impose a condition requiring the demolition of the theater,” Marta Juaniza, public affairs specialist for HUD, told the Detroit News. “The borrower’s proposal was to demolish the theater.”

Moten’s claim came during an October 24 meeting of the City Council’s Planning and Economic Development standing committee. There, he laid out a $56 million plan to convert the 18-story former office building, which has sat dormant for years, into 148 apartments with 20 percent designated as “affordable.”

When asked by a member of the city’s Legislative Policy Division what would happen to the historic theater, Moten said that the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and HUD, which is supplying the project with a 40-year multifamily construction loan, deemed the it unsalvageable.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fHSTOrESowHqC6nvBjRCLLEkR-w=/0x0:2400x1600/920x613/filters:focal(963x626:1347x1010)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65577546/united_artists_theatre.0.jpg

[Busy Bee]

We're still destroying movie palaces in 2019???

[DetroitSky]

We're still destroying movie palaces in 2019???

Unfortunately its in the hands of developers who still think its the 70s.

Waters Edge II, the development I posted about yesterday in Harbortown, was approved:

Detroit council OKs controversial Harbortown development (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2019/10/29/controversial-harbortown-development-okd-detroit-city-council/2500854001/)

Detroit — The Bloomfield Hills-based developer with plans to complete the nearly 40-year build-out of Harbortown has been given the green light from the Detroit City Council to build a five-story apartment building and 11 townhomes.

In a 7-2 vote, the council approved a zoning change that would allow for the development known as Waters Edge II. Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones and President Pro Tem Mary Sheffield voted down the request.

[The North One]

Ross, Gilbert teaming on $300 million UM innovation center at former jail site in Detroit (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/ross-gilbert-teaming-300-million-um-innovation-center-former-jail-site-detroit)


This is such a fucking huge deal. We knew it was in the works but seeing it officially announced brings me great joy. This is like a game changer and the city seems to be already getting so many game changing investments. Absolutely incredible. :cheers:

[cityguy]

Yes,it's great news for Detroit.

[Tiorted9]

This is such a fucking huge deal. We knew it was in the works but seeing it officially announced brings me great joy. This is like a game changer and the city seems to be already getting so many game changing investments. Absolutely incredible. :cheers:

I agree. I've been wondering when Stephen Ross was going to do something large in his hometown. I know he has been supporting The Platform recently, but this is on a whole different level. Great project!

[DetroitSky]

More info on the Detroit Center for Innovation:

Financial, other details on Ross, Gilbert jail site project to be determined over next 90-180 days (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/economic-development/financial-other-details-ross-gilbert-jail-site-project-be-determined-over-next)

Bedrock LLC, Gilbert's real estate company, and Ross' New York City-based development firm Related Cos., would jointly develop the remainder of the site set off Gratiot with 10- to 15-story residential buildings for UM grad students, incubator space for new tech businesses and a boutique hotel and conference center inside the former Detroit Police Department headquarters building at 1300 Beaubien St. That project could be about $120 million based on previous project costs, according to documentation for a tax abatement recently submitted to the Detroit City Council.

A variety of approvals, including from the Detroit City Council and Wayne County Commission, are still needed for the project to move forward, Crain's reported Tuesday.

Ross and Gilbert are making undisclosed financial gifts to the project, which would have a groundbreaking in 2021 and completion in 2023. Bedrock CEO Matt Cullen told Crain's that additional fundraising for the main building are targeting philanthropic foundations and corporations that may have a presence in the incubator space.

"When (Ross) approached us with this incredible vision, this center for innovation located in the center of Detroit anchored by the University of Michigan, it took Dan about 15 seconds to say we were all in as an organization," Cullen said during Wednesday's event. "And as Stephen has noted, he intends to provide significant financial support for the initiative as well to see the project through to fruition."

Duggan said during the event that he has been courting Ross, the 79-year-old Detroit native who is now worth $7.6 billion, to invest in the city with annual trips to New York for the last four years. Finally, a year ago, Ross told Duggan he was planning something big.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/1152x647/public/Detroit%20Innovation%20Center%20rendering_2_i.jpg

Renovations nearly complete, Woodbridge townhomes now ready for tenants
(https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/10/31/20942290/laferte-terrace-woodbridge-townhomes-for-rent)

A lengthy renovation of seven Woodbridge townhomes is at long last nearing completion.

When we last spoke with Jon Zemke, he and his wife Kristin Lukowski had just finished work on a duplex on West Warren Avenue. The home, built in 1910, had been abandoned for at least 10 years.

But the bigger project was down the street at LaFerte Terrace. There, most of the 1,523-square-foot, three-bedroom townhomes still needed a lot of work. Two of the seven units were renting at the time for at an affordable rate of $1,000 per month.

Now, the renovations are nearly done. The first unit in this phase of construction is ready for rent and the other four should be available by the end of the year. All the townhomes in this batch will be market-rate and rent for $1,950.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/i5ypPF2-MOUskCgSBW2D9W9K1jw=/0x0:4032x3024/920x613/filters:focal(1111x1030:1755x1674)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65602157/IMG_5359.0.jpeg

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Entrepreneur launches crowdfunding campaign to bring Morningside Café to east-side neighborhood (https://www.modeldmedia.com/devnews/MorningsideCafe.aspx)

Following a Top Ten finish in this year’s Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest, a Morningside entrepreneur is turning to the community to help bring his business idea to fruition.

Jeffrey D. Lewis II has launched a crowdfunding campaign for Morningside Café, a café, music and performance venue, and events space in the neighborhood of the same name.

For Lewis, a resident of Morningside, the café is an opportunity to provide his neighbors with a place to gather over a cup of coffee, tea, or smoothie. Morningside Café also plans on carrying baked goods, breakfast foods, and more.

"They have to travel over to the Grosse Pointes and patronize Starbucks or travel as far as downtown and Midtown to have a place to go get a quality cup of coffee or just to have a place where they can meet with friends and colleagues," Lewis told Model D in August. As a resident of the neighborhood, he remembers there were local businesses he could go to without leaving the neighborhood and wants to offer that experience through his cafe.

https://www.modeldmedia.com/FilterD/images/morningside_cafe_rendering.jpg?s=f

Spirit of Detroit Plaza reopening after major renovations (https://www.wxyz.com/news/spirit-of-detroit-plaza-reopening-after-major-renovations)

DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Spirit of Detroit Plaza is officially reopening after major renovations.

Renovations totaled $794,750 and the new features include new playground equipment, a stationary musical instrument, new planter boxes and landscaping, new boulder installation, charging stations, a drinking fountain, new tables, chairs and benches, and fire pits.

“This improved public space will allow us to concentrate on providing programming and events appealing to all ages, whether residents, downtown workers or visitors,” said Brad Dick, Group Executive of Services and Infrastructure. “We are excited about making Spirit Plaza a place to celebrate community.”

[DetroitSky]

Some retail news:

New fashion shops opening in Detroit's New Center (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/retail/new-fashion-shops-opening-detroits-new-center)

Women's fashion boutique Coup D'etat will take over a 1,200-square-foot annex on the ground floor of Cadillac Place, adding a little flare to the state-owned building. It is scheduled to open Nov. 9 after a $20,000-$25,000 build-out that keeps intact its "neoclassical elegance," according to a news release.

The shop will sell clothes, shoes, beauty products, housewares and gifts with prices ranging from $12 for a bottle of nail polish to $750 for a silk dress.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/coup%20detat%20interior-main_i.jpg
Coup d'etat in Cadillac Place

Just across the street, luxury fashion shop The Upperow opened Friday at 3031 W. Grand Blvd. The 1,500-square-foot shop sells clothes for men, women and children, said Detroit-native Anthony Thompson, who owns the business with his wife Latoya. Prices range from $80 for a sweater to $350 for a suit.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/upperow%20pic-01_i.jpg
The Upperow in New Center One

Sasson outlines Sauce plan (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/food-drink/farewell-black-lotus-brewing-rencen-restaurants-set-opening-date-pizza-market-midtown)

Sauce, an Italian restaurant, cafe and mini-market from Prime + Proper purveyor Jeremy Sasson, is shuttling toward an expected March opening in Midtown Detroit.

It's a big concept — nearly 11,000 square feet and 265 seats — in the old Will Leather Goods shop that closed in May at 4120 Second Ave. Sasson calls the restaurant portion a "progressively new-aged play on Mediterranean and new-aged Italian dining," with naturally fermented Neapolitan-style pizza among its dishes.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/sauce%20detroit-01_i.jpg

Eid family of Birmingham's Phoenicia debuts 'more playful' restaurant in Detroit's Capitol Park (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/restaurants/eid-family-birminghams-phoenicia-debuts-more-playful-restaurant-detroits-capitol-park)

A "more playful sibling" to Birmingham standby Phoenicia Lebanese restaurant opened this week in Detroit's Capitol Park.

The restaurant named Leila, from the Eid family, adds to an increasingly food- and retail-heavy district.

It was built out for $2.4 million in an expansive ground-floor space in the historic Farwell Building at 1245 Griswold St.

Eater Detroit called it "one of the most anticipated new restaurants" of 2019.

The first-floor space next to Leila in the Farwell Building, renovated by Lansing-based developer Richard Karp, is still vacant. Samy Eid said he is helping market it to other restaurateurs because getting someone in there will be good for his business.

"There's tons of interest, I can tell you that much for sure," he said.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/leila_i.jpg

Coworking hub to open in Detroit's Fitzgerald neighborhood (https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2019/11/01/coworking-detroit-organization-strategic-community-partners/4126185002/)

Organization Strategic Community Partners is opening a coworking hub in the Fitzgerald neighborhood, located at 10240 West McNichols Road between Meyers and Wyoming. According to a news release, the space will be open to the public on Monday, with a ribbon-cutting event and tour of the building.

The 2,000 square-foot building will offer programming space and conference rooms at no or nominal cost to organizations serving Detroit. In addition, there will be a teacher resource center offering free space, resources and supplies for any Detroit teacher that is part of the nonprofit Teach 313.

Construction finished on 21 homes in first phase of North End residential development (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/1/20943503/north-end-residential-development-develop-detroit)

After a longer-than-expected delay, the first phase of a major residential development in the North End is complete.

Develop Detroit has finished construction on the first 21 homes of a scattered-site project, mostly in the North End, intended to add neighborhood density. The seven rehab and 14 new homes clustered on several streets around John R and Marston are all for sale, going for between $150,00 and a little over $250,000. They’re listed with City Living Detroit.

The homes are not only a combination of new and rehab, but also housing type. There’s nine units across three triplexes, two duplexes, and the rest single-family. All the homes are similar in size: two to three bedrooms between 1,000 and 1,400 square feet. Many, including all the new single family homes, have already sold.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DPk5-8_TDGMjMOxRhdQKOUTfG4M=/0x0:4200x2803/920x613/filters:focal(1764x1066:2436x1738)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65606411/73_Mt_Vernon_St_Detroit_MI_print_031_030_73_Mount_Vernon0031_4200x2803_300dpi.0.jpg

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https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Tsn2zS1q9Z2IGGIFbbVBZu431ec=/0x0:3840x2160/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19338096/Cam_01d_.jpg

Additional details on the $50M Cambria Hotel as it breaks ground downtown (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/1/20943968/cambria-hotel-downtown-detroit-construction)

Part of Choice Hotels International Inc.’s brand, the Cambria Hotel at 600 W. Lafayette Street will be a 158-room mixed-use building. In addition to the hotel, there will also be an upscale Italian restaurant, a rooftop bar, a grand ballroom, 60,000 square feet of Class A office space, new retail space, and a 150-car parking structure.

The project, which was first announced in March this year, is a mixture of rehab and new construction.

The developers are renovating the 90,000-square-foot, Albert Kahn–designed former WWJ Studios building, which will house the office and retail space as well as some hotel amenities. The new 150,000-square-foot hotel, made out of modular components, will be constructed on a surface lot behind the building.

According to a release, it’s the first modular development in the history of Detroit and the first new-build hotel in 15 years.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nMvvaOzcQbJN8DouOZu3OqLfLa0=/0x0:7680x4320/920x613/filters:focal(2621x1675:3849x2903)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65608243/ext_large_12___Photo.0.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/K03L5fMZEhvc404htft7mk1el9s=/0x0:7680x4320/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:7680x4320):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19338898/int_large_lobby_1.jpg
The lobby

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T0u9Cw5_mM5Uc2DeMepj9-9ROr0=/0x0:7680x4320/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:7680x4320):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19338912/int__large_hotel_3.jpg
Italian restaurant

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RMiOgEPx0N9INmIoAvgel-SjFoU=/0x0:7680x4320/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:7680x4320):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19338921/int_large_hotel_6.jpg
Rooftop bar

[DetroitSky]

The Detroit News posted some photos (https://www.detroitnews.com/picture-gallery/news/local/detroit-city/2019/10/31/renovations-continue-michigan-central-station/4099223002/?fbclid=IwAR0QF2rV6qEtfmZx4zY59h8q8qQ6r7awsRIxi9XY-gwCnzEzfNtJ-LChlJ4) of Michigan Central Station's renovation from October 25th:

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/10/30/PDTN/1f096601-3c26-4bd7-a22f-28d6be9418e1-2019-1025-dg-trainstation0138.jpg?width=1280

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/10/30/PDTN/bce08d63-866c-40e6-bc4f-cc29b97fe595-2019-1025-dg-trainstation0068.jpg?crop=6016,3943,x0,y73&width=1280

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/10/30/PDTN/92de7983-22c7-4f77-9703-a12bfcc8c263-2019-1025-dg-trainstation0097.jpg?width=1280

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/10/30/PDTN/65b73e3d-98e1-479d-bb0b-99fa468bce27-2019-1025-dg-trainstation0152.jpg?width=1280

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/10/30/PDTN/06dc65c8-077d-4ee9-8242-afd79087a9bf-2019-1025-dg-trainstation0140.jpg?width=1280

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/10/30/PDTN/fb659e20-c03a-4c7b-b77b-c21cbeeccaaf-2019-1025-dg-trainstation0054.jpg?width=854

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/10/30/PDTN/2be498fb-932c-4ba2-a349-60029827b70a-2019-1025-dg-trainstation0016.jpg?width=1280

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/10/30/PDTN/147b5705-86a5-4562-a667-89d7b2d8be91-2019-1025-dg-trainstation0256.jpg?width=1280

[Innsertnamehere]

Im really excited to see how it turns out. I hope Ford has enough budget for the project to do it right, and doesn’t make too many modifications. Its really rather symbolic to see Detroit’s most famous icon of economic decline restored and re-occupied as a part of the cities resurgence.

[subterranean]

Looking more like a gut rehab. Amazing how far gone it is.

[DetroitSky]

Another new rendering of the Detroit Center for Innovation was released today by Crain's (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/voices-chad-livengood/chad-livengood-wdet-um-innovation-center-bet-luring-talent-detroit):

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/Detroit%20Center%20for%20Innovation%202nd%20view%20from%20gratiot%20with%20cars_i.jpg

Check out the amazing turnaround of a Second Empire home on Vinewood Street (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/4/20948099/3311-vinewood-street-detroit-renovation-for-rent)

The home at 3311 Vinewood Street just outside Southwest Detroit was built all the way back in 1877. David Larson says it was originally part of Springwells Township. The home is in the Second Empire style—distinguished by the mansard roof and dormer windows—examples of which are mostly found in Brush Park mansions.

When the Larsons bought the home two years ago, it was in terrible shape. Parts of the roof, windows, and walls were gone. The ceiling was falling apart. The first floor was filled with debris. It’s only one of two homes left on its side of the block.

The fact that the home has been saved at all is remarkable—it was even on the city’s demolition list. Not only was it saved, but it’s been turned into a beautiful residence with original features intact or recreated where appropriate, a few personal touches made, and every detail thoughtfully considered.

Take the attractive periwinkle color scheme on the outside, nicely painted onto every single bit of wood trim and corbel. Or the fact that every piece of the original hardwood floor that could be saved was—boards from the second story floor were moved to the living room to create a seamless look. There’s very little original trim, but the new baseboards are the exact same size and dimension. The new crown molding is nicely detailed as well.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ar8cDIWY4SaoUtM4RItO1diNOPg=/0x0:5248x2952/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5248x2952):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19345762/Vinewood_winter_2017.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ooYVx-gglPy0tHgCQ0JbJwbgkQ0=/0x0:2780x1853/920x613/filters:focal(1076x614:1520x1058)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65622182/DSC_8115.0.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ltja4ZOc3odxKlR7EonSRoVCc5Q=/0x0:3008x2000/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3008x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19345706/DSC_8111.jpg

Who’s behind the ‘Old Western Market’ sign outside Corktown? (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/4/20947793/old-western-market-michigan-avenue-corktown-detroit)

Schneider and Noto’s plans for the new Western Market are still in the very early stages. They’re looking to get a permit from the city, which will allow them to erect a 10,000-square-foot tent and host up 60 vendors starting in May 2020.

They estimate this pilot phase of the market will cost around $150,000 and last around a year. They’re currently seeking loans and grants.

Eventually, they hope to build a permanent space for “20 to 30” small businesses selling a variety of goods from produce to coffee to antiques. They also say their goal is to keep everything as affordable as possible, in both the food that will be sold and rent for the vendors.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fZABTt66oVlqcp8PpCCLalfoVSI=/0x0:4032x3024/920x613/filters:focal(1168x1168:1812x1812)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65620999/IMG_1022.0.jpg

The Detroit Pepper Co. Opens on the East Side, Offers Peppers, Bowls, Smoothies (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/the-detroit-pepper-co-opens-on-the-east-side-offers-peppers-bowls-smoothies/)

The Detroit Pepper Co., a carryout restaurant specializing in smoothies and bell pepper-based dishes, hosted its grand opening today at its location at 17180 E. Warren on the east side of Detroit.

Menu items at the location will include stuffed bell peppers, pepper salads, and grain bowls aimed at health-conscious customers. The company is a recipient of a Motor City Match grant.

Marlin Hughes, owner and operator, thought of the idea for the restaurant after family and friends enjoyed stuffed peppers he served at a gathering nearly eight years ago. It coincided with Hughes’ lifestyle and dietary changes as well as a desire for a place that he and his son, who has autism, could share.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/11/Detroit-Pepper-Co.jpg

[DetroitSky]

H&M’s Detroit store officially opening November 21 (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/5/20950172/h-m-downtown-detroit-store-bedrock-woodward)

One of the world’s largest clothing retailers is finally ready to open its first Detroit store after first announcing it in March.

H&M’s downtown store at 1505 Woodward Avenue will officially open on November 21 at noon. The 25,000-square-foot space will span across three Bedrock Detroit–owned buildings, all designed by Albert Kahn.

“As Bedrock’s largest retail tenant, H&M signals a tipping point for the historic Woodward Shopping District,” Matt Cullen, CEO of Bedrock, said in a release. “For the first time in decades, shopping for the whole family is available on our main thoroughfare, and there is much more to come.”

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DHIKDlAlFEfkMtIIUvl3xXT8XLk=/0x0:2048x1152/920x613/filters:focal(758x254:1084x580)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65630719/Nonstock_HMRenderView1_20190306.0.jpg

^A Detroit News article said the store will span three floors of the three buildings, so I'm guessing basement, ground floor and second floor, though I haven't noticed any work being done on the second floor of any of the buildings.

Three different apartment buildings get major upgrades, remain affordable (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/5/20949872/detroit-affordable-housing-southwest-rivertown-woodbridge)

[/QUOTE]University Meadows

On November 1, Develop Detroit and Presbyterian Villages of Michigan broke ground on a rehabilitation of an apartment building for low-income seniors in Woodbridge.

The 53 units at the Village of University Meadows will be preserved as affordable through a $9 million investment. At the two-story building, all the major systems will be replaced and a photovoltaic solar array installed on the roof. Additional amenities will be added, such as a resident services coordinator, exam rooms, and a “healthy living” curriculum.[/QUOTE]

Central Towers

A $19 million renovation just finished on Central Towers, two affordable high-rise apartment buildings deep in Southwest Detroit.

The project was made possible through Low-Income Housing Tax Credits valued at $13 million awarded by MSHDA. The two buildings on Central Avenue total 232 apartments, and approximately $40,000 was invested in each of the one- and two-bedroom units.

The’ll be reserved for residents who make 60 percent of the area median income or less. Rent starts at $800, but the average renter pays $170 per month.

Elmwood Club Plaza

An article in the Detroit Free Press details how 45 of the units at the Elmwood Club Plaza Apartments were kept affordable after nearly becoming market-rate.

At the distinctive 18-story tower on Chene Street, many of the tenants pay $710 per month or less. But City Club Apartments, which owns and manages the building, planned a $10 million renovation of all 202 of its units starting in December. It would then raise rents to $1,240 per month, making it no longer affordable to those low- and moderate-income residents.

But the city of Detroit cut a deal with the owners. In exchange for a $1.4-million tax subsidy, writes JC Reindl...

City Club agreed to give 19 of the tenants—all seniors on fixed incomes—unique lifetime rent deals in which they will pay $765 per month for 550-square-foot apartments and see future increases held to 2 percent a year. The other 26 residents in the group will pay reduced monthly rates of about $930 or $1,070, depending on their income level, with maximum 3 percent increases for the next 12 years.
At least 20 percent of the units will remain affordable, even if tenants leave.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/efkc_FcxSNNjzxVJGuXoK1rvUys=/0x0:754x1131/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:754x1131):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19348993/Screen_Shot_2019_11_05_at_12.17.51_PM.jpg
Elmwood Club Plaza

[DetroitSky]

Real Estate Insider: Site planning ongoing for historic Woodward Avenue church property, UM credit union says (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/voices-kirk-pinho/real-estate-insider-site-planning-ongoing-historic-woodward-avenue-church)

The University of Michigan Credit Union says it is still working on a site plan for the historic former First Presbyterian Church at 2930 Woodward Ave. that it purchased more than two years ago.

"We have been working diligently to make sure that our site plan will exceed the needs of our membership and the community," Haley Burrill, media coordinator for UMCU, said in an email. Additional questions were not answered, and no one was made available for an interview.

At the time of the purchase, Tiffany Ford, the president and CEO of UMCU, said it was planning to build a 4,000-square-foot branch with 12 full-time employees on some of the 2-acre property's surface parking.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/FirstPresbyterian-main_i_0.jpg
From what I understand the credit union will be squeezed in on the left side in this photo between the church and building to the north. Should be a nice little infill project.

Bank's $5 million gift will help school, residents in NW Detroit (https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/john-gallagher/2019/11/06/tcf-bank-stem-lab-branch-grandmont-rosedale-detroit/4159260002/)

A new STEM lab for Cooke Elementary School and a new branch bank to serve neighborhood needs are among the benefits coming to the Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood on Detroit's northwest side thanks to the latest contribution to Detroit's Strategic Neighborhood Fund.

Mayor Mike Duggan joined Gary Torgow, executive chairman of TCF Bank, and neighborhood leaders at Wednesday's announcement.

“TCF is so pleased to have the opportunity to bring our newest branch to Grandmont Rosedale,” said Torgow. “An important part of our mission as Detroit’s hometown bank is to be an integral part of the economic growth and vitality of Detroit and its neighborhoods.”

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/11/04/PDTF/57fd148f-394c-40d4-b448-61e4c7e1bfe9-Torgow_at_Granmont.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

[deja vu]

The Detroit News posted some photos (https://www.detroitnews.com/picture-gallery/news/local/detroit-city/2019/10/31/renovations-continue-michigan-central-station/4099223002/?fbclid=IwAR0QF2rV6qEtfmZx4zY59h8q8qQ6r7awsRIxi9XY-gwCnzEzfNtJ-LChlJ4) of Michigan Central Station's renovation from October 25th:


^ So Cool! This reminds me a lot of Battle Creek's Heritage Tower (now called The Milton) which is undergoing a similarly-scaled renovation. I got to tour that project last week and am posting photos in batches under the Kalamazoo development page. Here's a link (https://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=8743310&postcount=489) to the first post, if interested.

[SupaK]

"Detroit Hudson's Site 2019 Update and Joe Louis Arena Demo Progress - 11-4-19" which gives a good view of those sites from the PeopleMover.

Starts at 35 seconds:

kmbc8od4Xik#t=0m35s

[DetroitSky]

Comerica Bank to open New Center Detroit branch today (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/banking/comerica-bank-open-new-center-detroit-branch-today)

Comerica Bank's latest branch, in Detroit's New Center neighborhood, will open Tuesday in an apartment development from The Platform LLC.

The ground-floor banking center at West Grand Boulevard and Third Avenue replaces Dallas-based Comerica's location in the nearby Fisher Building that closed Friday. The new outpost will have in-person tellers, as well as interactive machines with virtual customer service and a walk-up ATM, according to a news release.

It also comes after Comerica sold a previous West Grand Boulevard location to Henry Ford Health System around two years ago for the creation of the health system's new cancer center. The bank also donated $100,000 to Henry Ford Health.

The move is part of Comerica's $3 million investment to reshape its presence in and around downtown Detroit. Announced in 2017, that process includes opening new locations, relocating offices and selling some offices to make way for new developments. It has 20 banking centers in the city.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/New%20Banking%20Center%201_i.jpg

Ann Arbor’s Icon Interactive Opens Detroit Office (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/ann-arbors-icon-interactive-opens-detroit-office/)

Icon Interactive, an Ann Arbor-based digital agency, has opened a Detroit office at 1422 Brush St. near Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts. The loft space showcases Icon’s portfolio of digital innovation, including augmented and virtual reality experiences.

“I believe our concentration on virtual and mixed reality is in line with the spirit of the city: pushing new ideas and moving beyond traditional thinking that helps define the future,” says Rob Cleveland, CEO of Icon.

The new space was designed with an open, industrial feel meant to lend itself to collaboration with clients, partners, and staff. The company’s other campuses are in New York City and Boston.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/11/Icon-detroit-office-1.jpg

6 Salon to Open Downtown Detroit Location on Monday (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/6-salon-to-open-downtown-detroit-location-on-monday/)

On Monday, 6 Salon will open its newest location at 1441 Woodward Ave. in downtown Detroit. It is accepting appointments. The location is a Bedrock owned and managed property and a part of the Lofts at Merchant Row.

This is the third location for owners George Nikollaj, Johnny Nikollaj, and Tomy Lulgjuraj, who opened the first 6 Salon location in 2003 in Royal Oak, followed by a Birmingham location in 2006. The Detroit location is expected to employ 35-40 people.

The full-service salon will include 18 cutting chairs, two manicure stations, two pedicure stations, two makeup station, and barbering capabilities including hot shaves.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/11/6-Salon-Detroit.jpg

Bank of America Invests $5.5M in Detroit Homeowners, Small Businesses, Neighborhoods (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/bank-of-america-invests-5-5m-in-detroit-homeowners-small-businesses-neighborhoods/)

Bank of America and the city of Detroit today announced the bank’s investment of $3 million toward its mission of helping homeowners and small-business entrepreneurs as well as an additional $2.5 million for Detroit neighborhoods.

The $3 million is Bank of America’s cumulative philanthropic giving in the Detroit area in 2019. It has gone to the bank’s community partners dedicated to building strong communities. It includes giving to key programs that create pathways to employment, delivering financial education, supporting entrepreneurship and helping to foster stable, thriving neighborhoods.

The announcement was made at Detroit Sip, a Motor City Match recipient located in the city’s Livernois-McNichols neighborhood. The area has seen significant investment through Invest Detroit, a nonprofit lender and investor in Detroit’s future.

Gettees to Open First-ever Storefront in Detroit’s Eastern Market, Move Headquarters from Sterling Heights (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/gettees-to-open-first-ever-storefront-in-detroits-eastern-market-move-headquarters-from-sterling-heights/)

Gettees, a Sterling Heights-based clothing retailer, is opening its first storefront at 2461 Russell St. in Eastern Market, where it will also move its headquarters. A grand opening party is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

Established in 2014, the company designs and creates clothing for men and women and employs 20 metro Detroiters. The flagship storefront will become a destination for events and house Gettees’ creative and marketing offices.

“After the success of several pop-ups, being engaged in the city’s creative scene, and our Detroit entrepreneurial mindset, we knew Eastern Market was a natural location,” says Mathew Hunt, founder. “The historic district fits our mantra. We were connected with Firm Real Estate, who helped secure a location, made sure the space was adequate to our needs, and believed in a local business like us.”

https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/gettees-to-open-first-ever-storefront-in-detroits-eastern-market-move-headquarters-from-sterling-heights/

Mexican-founded PPAP Manager finds home in the Motor City through TechStars Detroit (http://www.detroitdriven.us/features/ppapmanager11072019.aspx)

Vinnie Delgado started his company, PPAP Manager, last year in his home country of Mexico. But after joining the TechStars Detroit business accelerator in July, he says his company will be moving to Detroit for good.

Delgado says moving to Detroit and joining TechStars has given him and his team access to corporate partners that they "could not even dream of having reached with our own resources."

"I can go to a plant here in Chihuahua[, Mexico,] and knock the door and try to speak with the plant manager and I will not be received," he says. "But if I go to TechStars, I can speak directly with the chief innovation officer or the chief technology officer of the same company. That's what makes the difference with TechStars: the network."

Delgado was inspired to start his own company after working in the auto industry for over a decade, specializing in supply chain and management processes. One of his main responsibilities was to manage teams that handled production part approval processes, or PPAPs. PPAPs are highly detailed documents that potential suppliers submit to an automaker or other company, allowing the automaker to verify that the supplier will manufacture new parts to the automaker's exact specifications.

http://www.detroitdriven.us/galleries/ppap.jpg?s=f

[subterranean]

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_v6kNkPwaPbZ94BcN0vxRmSB6wI=/0x144:3200x1819/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19370397/Detroits_Own_Structures_inside_LEGO_Towering_Ambition_KMS_Photography.jpg
Detroit skyline featured in Lego exhibit on iconic skyscrapers at Henry Ford Museum
Nov 12, 2019 at 11:58 AM by Aaron Mondry

Detroit skyline at “Towers of Tomorrow.” [KMS] Photography Some pretty astounding things can be built using Lego’s straightforward blocks.


Source: https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/12/20961750/henry-ford-museum-detroit-buildings-skyline-legos

[DetroitSky]

^I've seen some of those before. They're huge. I can't imagine the time and effort put into them.

These are the first detailed renderings of Brush 8 we've seen:

New-build luxury townhomes in Brush Park hit the market (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/13/20963236/brush-park-8-luxury-townhomes-detroit)

Understandably, most of the development news in Brush Park centers around the $100-million, 24-building City Modern. But there’s plenty of other noteworthy projects taking place as well.

That includes Brush 8, a $4.7-million luxury townhome development led by City Growth Partners. And the soon-to-be-constructed units at 3119 Brush Street just hit the market.

Most are around 1,900 square feet, and all come with two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. Two have already pre-sold, including the largest, which will be 2,137 square feet and went for $769,000. Pricing for the rest starts at $604,000.

All the townhomes have similar floor plans: an attached garage and studio on the first floor; living room, dining room, and kitchen on the second; bedrooms and bathrooms on the third; and a “penthouse” floor that comes with a private rooftop terrace. They’ll all have two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms.

Construction is expected to begin in February 2020 and finish by the end of the year.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0DB4khqzk9SeblFTns53vS5Jtt8=/0x0:2000x1295/920x613/filters:focal(826x425:1146x745)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65693454/DEP_1903_Brush_8_Townhomes___View_1__Bird_s_eye_MR.0.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kGVXz9_0J51rNOQUmKsFdNB_1Ys=/0x0:2000x1430/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2000x1430):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19373443/DEP_1903_Brush_8_Townhomes_Penthouse_MR_11042019.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iKV-verMH5xO-1hH3noMhi9tflA=/0x0:6100x3952/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:6100x3952):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19373449/DEP_1903_Brush_8_Townhomes_Living_Kitchen_11042019.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/f9rMpBnKWXmOU1HeUidTD4UFKq8=/0x0:5100x3306/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5100x3306):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19373452/DEP_1903_Brush_8_Townhomes_Bedroom_11042019.jpg

https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/13/20963236/brush-park-8-luxury-townhomes-detroit

[jonwylie]

^^ I like the building but I would have preferred it not be facing Brush. With the new City Modern buildings having a lot of 1st floor retail and a few existing commercial buildings, I would have liked to see Brush become a street with a lot of shops and restaurants

[DetroitSky]

I think this is the first I've heard of this development. If this happens it would be a turning point for that section of the riverfront. This is exactly what should be built along the river.

Bankruptcy creditor seeks 2 more years to acquire properties for east Detroit riverfront development (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/bankruptcy-creditor-seeks-2-more-years-acquire-properties-east-detroit-riverfront)

A key creditor at the center of Detroit's historic 2013-14 municipal bankruptcy is asking for two more years to acquire an east Detroit riverfront property it received development rights to in the case.

Pike Pointe Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Syncora Guarantee Inc., currently has until Dec. 10 to exercise an option to acquire properties at 2290 E. Jefferson Ave., 2310 E. Jefferson Ave. and 301 Chene St. totaling 2.11 acres; it is asking for an extension until Dec. 10, 2021, to exercise its option on the property, according to a bankruptcy court filing filed late Wednesday.

Pike Pointe is also asking that the bankruptcy court require the city to nix an agreement that allows the operator of the Aretha Franklin Ampitheatre to use those properties for parking because it believes it "limits the value" of the properties.

The creditor subsidiary says that development activity around the property has decreased and that its planned development — which would also include an additional 6.79 acres with the parcels at 2200 Franklin St., 2263 E. Atwater St. and 281 Chene St. — is complex, which under an agreement with the city, it says, merits the extension.

It also says that upon receiving title to the property, it would have 15 months to begin construction or the city could take the properties back. At this point, the subsidiary says, that 15-month time frame is unrealistic.

The motion says that Pike Pointe envisions a development with a 3,500-car automated parking system, 300 apartments, 100 furnished condominiums, a 256-room hotel, 60,000 to 100,000 square feet of office space and 60,000 square feet of retail space.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/SyncoraRiverfrontRendering-Main_i.jpg

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/SyncoraRiverfrontRendering-03_i.jpg

Parker Durand has/is about to start construction. The article doesn't make it clear which one is accurate.

Affordable housing project aims to bring economic jolt to Detroit neighborhood (https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/john-gallagher/2019/11/14/more-affordable-housing-comes-to-islandview-greater-villages-detroit/4177771002/)

A new mixed-use project in Detroit's Islandview/Greater Villages district on the east side typifies a push to create more affordable housing in the city's neighborhoods.

Developers were starting work this month on the $23-million Parker Durand project, a four-story structure named for the two streets near the heavily traveled Kercheval and Van Dyke streets.

With 92 apartments on the upper three stories and retail on the ground floor, the Parker Durand aims to deliver a jolt of economic development to a neighborhood that spans Indian Village mansions, trendy shops and a large amount of vacant lots and run-down buildings.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/11/13/PDTF/a05fdb19-bd24-477e-a041-9f0562aa0733-parker_durand_1.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

Façade of Ford’s Michigan Central Station in Corktown to be Restored Using Limestone from Original Indiana Quarry (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/facade-of-dearborn-based-michigan-central-station-in-corktown-to-be-restored-using-limestone-from-original-indiana-quarry/)

Limestone blocks being used to replace the deteriorating stone façade of Ford Motor Co.’s Michigan Central Station in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood will be sourced from the same Indiana quarry that provided the limestone during the station’s original construction.

The second phase of the station’s transformation is underway. The announcement was made today.

The phase focuses on cleaning, repairing, and replacing eight acres of masonry on the exterior of the building. Scaffolding wraps around the west half of the 15-story tower. Cranes and workers will soon disassemble stone from around the waiting room entrance, which faces north toward Michigan Avenue. This will allow craftsmen to fix the limestone façade and recreate missing and deteriorated ornate pieces.

The station opened in 1913, and using limestone from the same quarry is part of Ford’s efforts to retain the station’s historical integrity. Some of the early blocks of limestone are still in a field a few feet away from where they were first mined more than 100 years ago.

The Dark Hollow Quarry where the unique patterned limestone is found was closed in 1988. Its pattern fell out of favor with building projects in the 1920s. The remaining blocks are now in a forest of 30-year-old trees. Local trades will construct a new haul road to access the stones and remove trees to access the material.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/11/Ford-Michigan-Central-Station-limestone.jpg

DetroitYes (https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?1733-United-Artists-Theatre/page23) user masterblaster attended the city hall meeting last night where the future of the United Artists Theatre was discussed and posted this summary:

They didn't get to the theater demolition until 4 1/2 hours into the meeting. A representative of either the architect or developer spoke in favor of the demo. He said HUD wouldn't provide funding unless the theater portion was demo'ed. He also said the purpose of the demo was NOT to add more parking spaces.

He also said the theater was beyond repair, that it would actually cost less to build a brand new UA theater, and he made a good point in that the EXTERIOR portion of the theater is not attractive (remember portions of the theater were built behind the old Tuller Hotel and was not meant to be seen, so that portion was not made aesthetically pleasing).

Only 2 people came out to speak against the demo: the president of Preservation Wayne and activist Francis Grunow.

The question at hand was: will the demolition of the theater portion of the building negatively impact the surrounding designated historic districts in that part of downtown - The commission agreed that it would negatively impact that area.

HUD publicly stated it does not and never suggested it requires the demolition of the theater. If Ilitch/Moten don't get their demo permit, I'd be willing to bet they'll backtrack on the renovation and continue to let the building sit.

[DetroitSky]

$100M Midtown West development breaks ground on site of Wigle Recreation Center (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/15/20966870/midtown-west-wigle-recreation-center-detroit-construction)

A development that’s been long in the making has finally broke ground.

At a ceremony featuring Mayor Mike Duggan, developers, city officials, construction began on the $100 million, five-story Midtown West that will sit at the seven-acre site of the former Wigle Recreation Center just south of Selden Street between the Lodge Freeway and Third Avenue.

The first development in this phase, Fourth & Selden, will consist of 26 for-sale condos, 4,200 square feet of retail, and other amenities like a gym and yoga room. The project architect is VolumeOne Design Studio with additional support from McIntosh Poris.

Construction is expected to take 18 month with occupancy scheduled for spring 2021. Units will be listed through Matt O’Laughlin of Alexander Real Estate and Jimmy Saros of Saros Real Estate.

The second, larger development—which has a planned spring 2020 groundbreaking—will bring 177 apartments with a minimum 10 percent designated as affordable. There will also be a one-acre park, 5,000 square feet of retail space, and on-site amenities like a landscaped roof deck and gym.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jT8_0D7JOTsGVW6K6aLTmOIGlBk=/0x0:3485x2325/920x613/filters:focal(1465x885:2021x1441)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65708862/Fourth_and_Selden_rendering.0.jpg

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/11/15/PDTN/25aff033-2c9a-446b-8db6-b593b11f811d-2019-1115-dm-me-midtown-project0099.JPG?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp
Source (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2019/11/15/officials-break-ground-new-100-m-midtown-mixed-use-development/4202974002/)

^The design is very...uninspiring. I'm really looking forward to this area of Midtown to begin filling up, though, and having the street grid restored in the former Wigle site will be great. There's a lot of other projects planned for this part of Midtown and a few underway currently, too, like the Eco Homes just north of this site.

Detroit Prep Academy Completes $6.9M Building Renovation (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/detroit-prep-academy-completes-6-9m-building-renovation/)

Detroit Prep Academy today opened its new campus at a formerly vacant school building at 8411 Sylvester St. in Pingree Park in Detroit that was the beneficiary of a $6.9-million renovation.

The 43,500-square-foot, three-story building features 21 classrooms, a kitchen, a cafeteria, and a gathering/performance space. The property also will have room to build a playground and outdoor learning space to support Detroit Prep’s project-based learning curriculum. Twenty-eight construction jobs for the project and 35 full-time positions in the school were created.

Detroit Prep moves into the renovated school after spending its first two years operating out of the basement of a nearby church, outperforming other schools in the area

Located in the former home of Anna M. Joyce Elementary School, Detroit Prep is the first diverse-by-design public charter school in Detroit, which intentionally seeks out children and staff of diverse backgrounds for the benefit of all. The school offers an equitable and diverse education to give all students a foundation of academic excellence and character development.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/11/Detroit-Prep-1.jpg

Infused Yoga Studio Santo Santo to Open in Detroit (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/infused-yoga-studio-santo-santo-to-open-in-detroit/)

Santo Santo, a new yoga studio that combines traditional practices with a variety of healing methods, is expected to open in Detroit’s Indian Village on Nov. 25.

[DetroitSky]

Apparel printing company MyLocker completes $14M expansion of Corktown facility (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/18/20970640/mylocker-corktown-facility-detroit-rosa-parks)

Online custom clothing seller and manufacturer MyLocker has just completed a $14 million build-out of its production and office facilities in Detroit. Previously spread across three Corktown properties, the company has consolidated, expanded, and updated its building at 1300 Rosa Parks Boulevard.

Based in Detroit since 2013, MyLocker prints custom clothing—including t-shirts, hats, hoodies, leggings, and more—at a variety of scales. MyLocker says that the expansion will go hand-in-hand with hiring, and plans to triple its workforce to 1,200 by 2022. It also reports that 75 percent of its employees live in Detroit and more than two-thirds are women.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ouseTBAPkiSbtpWUST7I32j2Hdo=/0x0:3943x2957/920x613/filters:focal(1657x1164:2287x1794)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65723051/IMG_3276.0.jpg

NYC chef comes home to open Oak and Reel in Detroit (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/dining/2019/11/18/nyc-chef-comes-home-open-oak-and-reel-milwaukee-junction/4204017002/)

Chef Jared Gadbaw is a Michigan native who has spent nearly the past two decades cooking at nationally lauded restaurants in New York City. Now, he's readying his own venture in Detroit: Oak and Reel.

The Italian, seafood-forward restaurant with house-made pasta and a wood-burning hearth is expected to open this spring in the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood, but local diners can get a taste next month at pop-up kitchen Revolver in Hamtramck.

^This is planned for Rebuild Group's new headquarters on East Grand next to Chroma

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DJ6mJJZwCoL0x0v3CGgzIT_tmQg=/0x0:5162x3552/920x613/filters:focal(2169x1364:2993x2188)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63956435/RG_Addtl_7.0.jpg
Source (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/6/5/18654417/rebuild-group-milwaukee-junction-office-first-look)

Work on $22.5M Parker Durand Development Begins on Detroit’s Eastside (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/work-on-22-5m-parker-durand-development-begins-on-detroits-eastside/)

Construction on Parker Durand, a $22.5-million, four-story, 92-unit mixed use development at the northeast corner of Kercheval and Van Dyke in the Islandview/Greater Villages neighborhood in Detroit, commenced today.

The development is backed by the Roxbury Group, Invest Detroit, Capital Impact Partners, Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC), and the City of Detroit’s Strategic Neighborhood Fund (SNF). Once complete, residents will be offered market-rate and rent-restricted units — at varying levels of affordability — and four retail spaces.

“As Detroit continues its turnaround, it is essential to keep serving those who have been here and stayed in Detroit,” says Donald Rencher, director of the city’s Housing and Revitalization Department. “This department and administration are committed to inclusive development that ensures all Detroiters are included and benefit from projects like Parker Durand.”

The development will include 83 one-bedroom units and nine two-bedroom units, which will range in size from 740 to 1,240 square feet – half of which will be affordable. 20 percent of the units will be affordable at 50 percent of the area median income (AMI) and 30 percent at 80 percent AMI. The four retail spaces on the first floor will be prioritized for locally owned businesses that provide those goods and services that neighborhood residents identified as a need during the city of Detroit’s community planning process.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/11/Kercheval-Van-Dyke-After.jpg

[DetroitSky]

Capital One Café planned for downtown Detroit in $10 million overhaul of long-vacant 511 Woodward building (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/capital-one-cafe-planned-downtown-detroit-10-million-overhaul-long-vacant-511-woodward)

The state's first Capital One Café, a glassy new façade and pedestrian-friendly patio are in the works for the long vacant 511 Woodward building in downtown Detroit.

The Elia Group, based in Birmingham, added another Detroit property to its portfolio after closing Wednesday on the $4.65 million purchase of the 30,000-square-foot building from Wayne County.

Construction will begin immediately to overhaul the exterior and white box the inside, said Zaid Elia, founder and CEO of The Elia Group. All told, including purchase price, investment in the building is expected to top $10 million.

"This property sits in the heart of the city and has been vacant well over 20 years," Elia said. "We bring properties in phenomenal locations that have been sitting derelict and bring them back to life, and make sure they are functional but mean something to the community where it sits."

Virginia-based Capital One Financial Corp. will establish its first branch presence in Detroit with its Capital One Café, which will take up 7,000 square feet on two floors, according to a news release. It will include a Peet's Coffee shop, along with community work space.

The bank café will offer traditional banking services, ATMs and complimentary financial education programs. Around 25 new jobs would be created there after the company's anticipated build-out of more than $1 million.

Crain's left an inquiry with the bank's communications representative for more details.

The bank café is expected to open when building renovations are complete in September, Elia said.

Detroit-based Walbridge Aldinger Co. is the general contractor and Detroit-based Yamasaki Inc. is the architect.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/511%20Woodward%20rendering_i.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_6ur0_6midwBGLgXUXwl5oDKODI=/0x0:1280x826/920x613/filters:focal(492x320:696x524)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65749370/Main_view_FINAL.0.jpg
Source (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/21/20976598/511-woodward-guardian-elia-capital-one-detroit)

Long line for opening of first Detroit H&M, some nab $500 coupons (https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2019/11/21/detroit-hm-opening-woodward/4252049002/)

Hundreds of people stood in line Thursday morning along Woodward Avenue in Detroit for the grand opening of the city's first H&M retail store, the latest addition to downtown's resurgent retail landscape.

The line outside H&M, 1505 Woodward Ave., started forming at about 5:30 a.m. and stretched the full length of the block by the time the store opened at noon.

Many of the early arrivals said they came for a chance at the biggest H&M discount coupons. The retailer announced that it would hand out coupons ranging from $10 to $500 to the first 500 shoppers in line.

"We've been out here since 5:30," said Michael Crombez, 21 of Sterling Heights, who stood at the very front of the line with a friend. He later became one of at least two people to snag a $500 coupon.

"Got to get that deal, man," Crombez said, explaining his predawn arrival.

The 25,000-square-foot H&M spreads across three storefronts and two floors, and brings a major expansion of affordable, midlevel shopping options to downtown. The storefronts were previously empty.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/11/21/PDTF/f697a522-d236-44e6-b131-1db3f7bed2ed-hm2.JPG?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/11/20/PDTF/49c18dcc-e241-410b-8fbb-956accef88dd-IMG_3776.JPG?width=520&height=390&fit=bounds&auto=webp

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/11/20/PDTF/3a0ecb03-2bbc-4db9-b62b-d07a70b3739f-IMG_3784.JPG?width=520&height=390&fit=bounds&auto=webp

[Detroit]

Rumor has it that the base of the tower crane at the Hudson site has been installed. Here is a great link to daily time lapse updates of the site https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-hM6xX2XvGOLiIOs1ZawzA

[DetroitSportsFan]

Rumor has it that the base of the tower crane at the Hudson site has been installed. Here is a great link to daily time lapse updates of the site https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-hM6xX2XvGOLiIOs1ZawzA

Can confirm. There’s some pictures in this thread over on Dyes.

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?22215-New-Tallest-Maybe-Building-in-Detroit-to-be-built-on-Hudson-s-site/page58

[seabee1526]

Can confirm. There’s some pictures in this thread over on Dyes.

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?22215-New-Tallest-Maybe-Building-in-Detroit-to-be-built-on-Hudson-s-site/page58

Will the access ramp need to be moved to the “tower” side?

[DetroitSky]

^Definitely a huge step forward. Here's one of the photos from the link:

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/attachment.php?attachmentid=39262&d=1574437390

Hopefully this is a sign that construction will start speeding up soon.

Three Businesses Open on Detroit’s Livernois Avenue of Fashion (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/three-businesses-open-on-detroits-livernois-avenue-of-fashion/)

Three businesses opened Wednesday on the Livernois Avenue of Fashion in northwest Detroit: Skin Bar VII, Good Times on the Ave., and Krispy Addicts. Each of the businesses are minority owned.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/11/GoodTimes.jpg

Early childhood education focus at Marygrove center's groundbreaking (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/education/2019/11/22/education-and-philanthropic-partners-broke-ground-friday-15-million-early-childhood-education-center/4231576002/)

Detroit – Education and philanthropic partners broke ground Friday on a $15 million early childhood education center on the Marygrove College campus.

Officials from the Marygrove Conservancy, the Kresge Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, as well as Detroit families, used big and little shovels to celebrate the groundbreaking for the new 28,000-square-foot childcare center, which is expected to open in the fall of 2021.

The center is part of the Marygrove Conservancy’s "cradle-to-career" vision for the 53-acre campus, which will lose Marygrove College when it closes at the end of the year.

Plans call for the center to have natural light, interior courtyards and a natural playscape designed around existing oak trees. The center will include 12 classrooms, a library and health therapy rooms.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/11/21/PDTN/de6a1a07-24c5-4209-8665-e252419a934a-20191108_marygrove_groundbreaking_package_3.JPG?crop=4179,2234,x50,y314&width=520&height=390&fit=bounds&auto=webp

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/11/21/PDTN/da2d73a4-18d9-463e-9d5b-47ff7f0b1cb8-20191108_marygrove_groundbreaking_package_4.JPG?crop=3625,2121,x670,y405&width=520&height=390&fit=bounds&auto=webp

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/11/21/PDTN/a33e5b85-728b-4717-80ab-33383b096766-20191108_marygrove_groundbreaking_package_5.JPG?crop=3500,2135,x928,y375&width=520&height=390&fit=bounds&auto=webp

[The North One]

Will the access ramp need to be moved to the “tower” side?

I don't think they need a ramp at all once drilling is done and tower cranes are in place.

[DetroitSky]

Global advertising company WPP to move 1,000 employees into Marquette Building (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/26/20984287/wpp-marquette-building-downtown-detroit-renovation)

The world’s largest advertising company, London-based WPP, announced that it will move up to 1,000 employees into the vacant Marquette Building at 243 W. Congress Street.

The international advertising and public relations firm works with and near Ford in Dearborn, where it has an office of 850 employees at Corporate Crossings at Fairlane. In addition to moving those employees, WPP will add another 182 to the downtown Detroit building, where will lease 150,000 square feet across nine floors.

The Marquette Building was bought by Detroit-based Sterling Group for $10 million last year. A nearly $20 million renovation is expected to be done by the end of 2020. WPP-owned BDG Architecture + Design will design the interior office space.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7PC8K_Ef618p14hSvQrHuGUH_Lw=/0x0:2568x1445/920x613/filters:focal(1024x560:1434x970)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65778470/WPP_Detroit_campus.0.jpg

California Cannabis Company Viola Launches First Retail Store in Detroit (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/california-cannabis-company-viola-launches-first-retail-store-in-detroit/)

California-based cannabis retailer Viola, founded by former NBA player Al Harrington, today opened the Viola Provision Center at 4473 W. Jefferson Ave. in Detroit.

The 48,000-square-foot facility, which also will feature cultivation and packaging capability in the first quarter of 2020, is the brand’s first retail location.

“This is a very special time for Viola,” says Harrington, who played for seven teams over 16 NBA seasons. “We have been developing our brand for over 10 years, producing ultra-premium products rooted in purpose and social equity. The launch of our first flagship store in Detroit is a testament to the growth and overall expansion of Viola.”

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/11/Viola_store.jpg

Finally, after almost two years, a restaurant has returned to the top of the RenCen:

Highlands Arrives at the RenCen With Stellar Views of the Detroit Waterfront (https://detroit.eater.com/2019/11/25/20981598/highlands-detroit-new-restaurant-bars-gm-rencen-shawn-mcclain)

Even the biggest restaurant openings in Detroit still manage to run into hiccups from time to time that delay the opening. Such was the case with Highlands last week — a trifecta of restaurants and bars from the McClain Camarota Hospitality group perched at the top of the GM Renaissance Center. With plans initially to open last Thursday to the public, the restaurant group hit the breaks ever so slightly to allow for some test runs and the final touches to be put on the space. All of that hard work will be on display with the opening tonight on the 71st floor.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BKeY7oQ6G68qUsOm4We4tngeqbI=/0x0:2048x1365/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19408312/Highlands_1003.jpg

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The Free Press put out an article (https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2019/11/25/more-visible-progress-dan-gilberts-hudsons-site-detroit/4300937002/) yesterday that has no new info at all but it does have two photos of the tower crane base at the Hudson's Site:

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/11/25/PDTF/dd6a10f1-d62e-4253-9754-782f7b67ef84-Hudsons_112519_01_MW.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/11/25/PDTF/ab511963-ca92-43a2-96fb-00fa39d09b15-Hudsons_112519_03_MW.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

[Innsertnamehere]

That WPP move is pretty significant, that’s a large chunk of employees. Going to make that corner of downtown quite a bit busier.

[DetroitSky]

The News (https://www.detroitnews.com/picture-gallery/news/local/detroit-city/2019/12/03/work-continues-wayne-county-criminal-justice-complex-site/2601213001/) released some photos today of the Wayne County Criminal Justice Complex:

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/12/03/PDTN/1a4210b7-ace1-4294-931d-a890718d2ab6-2019-1203-rb-me-justice-complex134.jpg?width=1280&width=1280&width=1280

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/12/03/PDTN/e79513ee-289c-4084-a746-0c16eaec1281-2019-1203-rb-me-justice-complex175.jpg?width=1280

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/12/03/PDTN/0bbccc47-826b-4a5b-8e59-c7bbf0747b85-2019-1203-rb-me-justice-complex162.jpg?width=1280

City seeks development proposals for site of former Hope Hospital in Virginia Park (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/11/27/20985445/rfp-city-detroit-virginia-park-hope-hospital)

The city of Detroit’s Housing and Revitalization Department (HRD) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to develop a vacant 0.75-acre site in the Virginia Park Historic District.

The parcel on the southwest corner of Virginia Park Street and Third Avenue is blocks away from New Center, the Henry Ford Health System campus, the Lodge freeway, and dozens of historic homes in the dense residential neighborhood.

HRD says it will consider a range of development ideas. A residential component, however, is required and 20 percent of those units must be affordable to households earning up to 80 percent of the area median income (around $45,000). Multiple housing types, as well as a mixed-use development, will be considered.

A 0.2-acre vacant parcel across the street could also be included in the proposal.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7ZhIg49Vanm7Amq2bk39GNocj5U=/0x0:2000x1059/920x613/filters:focal(745x619:1065x939)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65784542/view_south_of_801_VP.0.jpg

Progress continues at transformative City Modern development (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/12/3/20993810/city-modern-brush-park-detroit-update-development)

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4zrns_I0PuJQZlWBpzqIkAu6Pxc=/0x0:1024x683/920x613/filters:focal(647x160:809x322)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65817410/Carriage_Home_Alleyway.0.jpg
Carriage homes

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/V_1_MKMNohUr_Fy1ZmFtOriqt6U=/0x0:2048x1304/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1304):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19427244/Townhouse_front.jpg
Townhouses on Alfred

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pX1MXQiEq6ahIl3Pu8hJOpV98qk=/0x0:5000x2813/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5000x2813):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19427232/New_12_Edmund_Townhouse_Rendering.jpg
Rendering of 12 townhouses on Edmund, formerly planned to be "duplettes"

Buddy’s Pizza to Open Its First Downtown Detroit Restaurant, Located South of Comerica Park (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/buddys-pizza-to-open-its-first-downtown-detroit-restaurant-located-south-of-comerica-park/)

Farmington Hills-based Buddy’s Pizza will open its first downtown Detroit location on Wednesday, Dec. 11, on the first floor of the Madison Building at 1565 Broadway St. The location is a block east of Woodward Avenue and just south of Park Avenue (near Comerica Park).

The original space served as the lobby, along with office space, for the Madison Theatre, built in 1917. Designed by noted architect C. Howard Crane, the 1,806-seat theater was demolished in the early 2000s and replaced by a surface parking lot. Bedrock, a real estate company that is part of the Quicken Loans Family of Companies, redeveloped the Madison office building into a mixed-use space.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/12/Buddys-Pizza.jpg

Plum Health settles into new Corktown offices, plans for growth (https://www.modeldmedia.com/devnews/PlumHealthCorktown.aspx)

Plum Health, the direct primary care practice founded in 2016 by Dr. Paul Thomas, has left its Southwest Detroit beginnings for one of the most high-profile developments in the city: The Corner mixed-use development located at the site of the old Tiger Stadium.

The move to the 1,700-square-foot space results from a significant increase in the amount of patients Thomas serves, from 8 in November 2016 to more than 550 active patients today.

Thomas hired Dr. Raquel Orlich this summer and, with the move, a third physician will be hired, meaning that Plum Health will eventually be able to serve more than 1,500 patients from their new Corktown offices.

[cityguy]

Drove by the Thompson hotel site on Woodward today. No progress so far.

[DetroitSky]

231-unit The Boulevard opens in New Center (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/12/5/20997254/the-boulevard-platform-detroit-new-center-apartments)

A 231-unit mixed-use building, The Boulevard, has officially opened in New Center on the site of a former surface parking lot.

Built by the Platform at a cost of $60 million, it’s being hailed as the first major residential development in the neighborhood in a generation. Its 356,000 square feet is spread across six stories, plus 330 underground parking spaces.

“It took longer to build than we thought it would and it cost more, and that’s the bad news,” Peter Cummings, CEO of The Platform, said at a grand opening event. “The good news is we have a great finished product.”

Construction on the building, formerly called Third & Grand, was originally expected to finish by the end of 2018.

The apartments at the Third Avenue and West Grand Boulevard building are a mix of studios, one-, and two-bedroom units with a variety of floor plans for each type. They range in size from 534 to 1,185 square feet. Some come with an extra den, many have balcony access, and all have walk-in closets, kitchens with granite countertops, and in-unit laundry.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BZgYUUl_dv0Erj9q5dltqbW12Ds=/0x0:3992x2992/920x613/filters:focal(1614x1431:2252x2069)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65833161/the_boulevard.0.jpeg
^Now we need something built up to the lot lines where that McDonald's is

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MQ9L2bU58wnIpMlLLKFsSAoL9xw=/0x0:5760x3840/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19433439/_MGL1360.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BfqB_W9dsjx28m_fHQI5qYPnIqU=/0x0:5760x3840/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19433444/_MGL1373.jpg

Ilitches plan $25M renovation of historic Detroit building — with big tenant coming (https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2019/12/05/ilitch-detroit-womens-city-club/2620579001/)

The Ilitch organization announced Thursday that it plans a $25-million renovation of downtown Detroit's long-vacant Women's City Club and has secured a major tenant to fill much of the historic building.

Switzerland-based IWG, an office space company, will lease the upper floors of the large six-story building, 2110 Park Ave., as its flexible office and co-working space brand, called Spaces.

The building's future street-level retail space is separate and not part of the lease deal.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/12/05/PDTF/1d7713c2-7aa9-4874-ac67-55042bbf35cf-12052019_buildings-1.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/12/05/PDTF/d395e099-1fa2-4499-bdfa-a12956933966-12052019_buildings-3.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

Lowell on DetroitYes (https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?24403-Progress-on-New-Infill-Houses-on-4th-at-Alexandrine) posted some update photos on the Eco Homes in Midtown today:

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/attachment.php?attachmentid=39333&d=1575564440

https://detroityes.com/webisodes/2019/4th-St-Homes2.jpg

https://detroityes.com/webisodes/2019/4th-St-Homes3.jpg

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/attachment.php?attachmentid=39334&d=1575564570

https://detroityes.com/webisodes/2019/4th-St-Homes5.jpg

And JonWylie on DetroitYes (https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?20931-The-Return-of-Brush-Park-Village-North) posted an update of Brush Park Village North on December 2nd:

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/attachment.php?attachmentid=39307&d=1575301665

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/attachment.php?attachmentid=39308&d=1575301704

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/attachment.php?attachmentid=39309&d=1575301744

I have a few update photos to post that I'll hopefully get to tonight, too.

[DetroitSky]

Alright, this is going to be a really small update. I haven't had much time to shoot photos lately. These are all from November 24th:

Downtown

https://i.imgur.com/HlmXJTph.jpg
Demo of Michigan Mutual Liability Annex for TCF Tower is well underway. Check out how the floors hit the front facade. The windows aren't lined up with the floors at all, in fact some of the floors come in at the middle of a window. So strange.

https://i.imgur.com/RgpY1Rgh.jpg
City Club Apartments CBD Detroit, Park and Bagley

https://i.imgur.com/0PZCckGh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Kghf6Ewh.jpg
Park Avenue facade

https://i.imgur.com/BQcBJdYh.jpg
Ground floor work at Book Tower. Most construction being done now seems to be interior work. They have been returning the first floor back to its original appearance, though, removing the mid century storefronts.

https://i.imgur.com/0tkHMpbh.jpg
Downtown's Holiday Inn Express is being renovated into a Hotel Indigo

https://i.imgur.com/nGGxpkqh.jpg
Demolition continues at Joe Louis Arena

https://i.imgur.com/VwWUIOqh.jpg
A tower crane has been erected for the Buhl Building reno

https://i.imgur.com/up8Eh4Wh.jpg
6 Salon is now open at 1441 Woodward

https://i.imgur.com/6gpEK0mh.jpg
Poppin Top Hat Popcorn (https://poppintophat.com) has opened at 1376 Broadway in the Merchants Building. Looks good.

https://i.imgur.com/q4G505Kh.jpg
The strange intersection of Gratiot, Randolph, Broadway and Clinton Street that was mostly closed off to traffic when Spirit Plaza was announced, has had a permanent plaza built over the lanes on the east side of Randolph between Gratiot and Monroe. This was definitely needed. Hopefully they eventually add some greenery or a statue or something. I know it just looks like a curb in this photo. I plan on getting better photos eventually. Random history lesson: in the 20th century this intersection was called Peninsular Square and Pingree Square at different times.

https://i.imgur.com/Xstesnzh.jpg
Tin Roof is finally under construction in the former Cheli's space.

New Center

https://i.imgur.com/lBGj28Ph.jpg
Redesigned streets are reopened around Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion. This looks east on W. Milwaukee with the Brigitte Harris garage on the left. I like the protected bike lane.

https://i.imgur.com/rkEwWEZh.jpg
The skybridge connecting Brigitte Harris and the main Henry Ford buildings is under construction

https://i.imgur.com/AQ6EI4Lh.jpg
6538 Woodward

Eastside

https://i.imgur.com/Qp2Bn24h.jpg
St. Charles Terraces, Islandview

https://i.imgur.com/62mas7gh.jpg
The Colonial, E. Lafayette and Parker

https://i.imgur.com/JaWQY6Dh.jpg
The Clay Center, Mack and Elmwood

[cityguy]

Great update.

[Docta_Love]

Definitely solid update I'm liking the protected bike lane too. I was over in Rosedale Park the other day and they have similar protected lanes being constructed on Grand River as part of the streetscape improvements, I was trying to take a pic but traffic was a nightmare with all the construction.

[DetroitSky]

This is unfortunate, but I'm glad they're keeping the Meijer portion of the project:

Long-delayed Meijer development in Detroit to move ahead without apartments (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/12/9/21003529/meijer-development-east-jefferson-detroit-delayed)

A mixed-use Meijer grocery store development that was expected to open on East Jefferson Avenue this year is being reconfigured. Crain’s Detroit Business reports that developers plan to go forward on the long-delayed project with just the grocery store component.

When it was first announced in 2017, plans for the $60 million development included 213 apartment units, a 43,000-square foot “small-scale” Meijer, and over 300 parking spaces (both above and underground). Now, the apartments are no longer part of the project due to rising construction costs that don’t meet average rental prices.

“We saw pricing go up 30-plus percent and unfortunately the numbers didn’t pencil with that increase,” Dennis Archer Jr., one of the project’s developers, told Crain’s.

No work has been done on the 2.5-acre site at 1475 E. Jefferson Avenue. Archer added that construction should begin spring 2020 and be completed in June 2021.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kWVg9i08HHCjLCcMcs0frQ5R6K8=/0x0:1720x927/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1720x927):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19444120/Grocery_Market_2.jpg

Ilitches score big tenant in new Detroit building: Boston Consulting (https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2019/12/09/boston-consulting-group-detroit-office/2629809001/)

Boston Consulting Group plans to close its Troy office and relocate to Detroit in a new building that is now under construction next to Little Caesars Arena.

The global consulting firm will be one of three tenants in the five-story, $70-million building, 2715 Woodward, joining the Detroit Medical Center and law firm Warner Norcross and Judd.

The plans were announced Monday by the Ilitch organization, which is developing the building. Construction began in the spring and is expected to finish in early 2021.

Boston Consulting plans to vacate its Troy office at 201 West Big Beaver in the first quarter of 2021, and move all 100 employees to Detroit.

“Moving into Detroit connects us with our clients on a whole new level,” Michelle Andersen, managing director of the firm's Detroit office, said in a statement. “Our staff is thrilled to be part of the energy in Detroit, and ready for the expanded opportunities to find new sources of value creation for our clients and new chances for expanding the knowledge base of our team.”

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/12/09/PDTF/de617b9e-bf74-4c65-babd-9695408f70e7-2715_Woodward_w_Boston_Consulting_Group.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

[DetroitSky]

The latest updates on the Joe Louis Greenway as end of planning phase nears (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/12/12/21013056/joe-louis-greenway-update-detroit-transit-biking)

The planning phase for the much-anticipated Joe Louis Greenway is entering the home stretch. After 48 public meetings over the past year—some city-led, some hosted by community groups—the last scheduled event ahead of the release of the framework plan took place Tuesday, December 10 at the Unity Baptist Church of Detroit.

Christina Peltier, project manager with the General Services Department (GSD), gave a brief update about the 32-mile non-motorized trail that will loop around Detroit and pass through parts of Hamtramck, Highland Park, and Dearborn. Posters outlining possible path types, routing, amenities, and more were spread around the room with cards available for residents to make comments. Consultants Sidewalk Detroit set up a filming area for people to talk about their relationship to biking, transit, and green space.

City planners have been stressing the importance of community engagement in shaping the greenway. “Resident input has affected probably every dimension of the plan,” Meagan Elliott, GSD chief parks planner, says.

The route was originally 26 miles, but due to resident concerns about safety, it’s been expanded to 32 miles in order to take as much of the greenway off road and to intersect with parks, amenities, and bus routes.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x7ty5WsAx8rdrscX2YYJuIyz1eg=/0x0:1226x886/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1226x886):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19487443/map.jpg

Detroit’s Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation Grants $10M to Invest Detroit to Support Commercial Corridors, Parks (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/detroits-ralph-c-wilson-jr-foundation-grants-10m-to-invest-detroit-to-support-commercial-corridors-parks/)

Invest Detroit today announced a $10 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation in Detroit that will support the Strategic Neighborhood Fund over the next five years to support commercial corridors and parks in 10 neighborhoods across the city.

The grant is part of the foundation’s place-based investments that are aimed at driving job growth, building community wealth, and generating additional economic development.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/12/Ralph-C.-Wilson-Jr.-Foundation-Boys-and-Girls-Clubs-parks.jpg

Comerica Bank in Detroit Begins Offering Services in Lobby of Michigan Headquarters (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/comerica-bank-in-detroit-begins-offering-services-in-lobby-of-its-michigan-headquarters/)

Comerica Bank Monday began offering banking services inside the lobby of the Comerica Banking Center, the bank’s Michigan headquarters in downtown Detroit, located at 411 W. Lafayette.

The location provides customers with street-level access to services during operating hours – 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday. Services during this time include account opening, servicing, consultation and advising, and cashless transactions such as making deposits or tax and loan payments.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/12/Comerica-Banking-Center.jpg

DTE Energy to implode old Detroit power plant swapped in FCA land deal (https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2019/12/11/dte-energy-to-implode-old-detroit-power-plant-swapped-in-fca-land-deal/)

DETROIT – DTE Energy will demolish the old Conners Creek Power Plant in Detroit on Friday, a piece of the land exchange made with the city to make room for a new Fiat Chrysler plant.

The plant was retired in 2008. The demolition will take place via the explosive felling process, which uses strategic explosives to bring down a structure in a controlled manner, DTE Energy says.

https://www.clickondetroit.com/resizer/QJRoeXGQVlCbVCU-qkGqwhfa3_w=/800x476/smart/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/N2HPUVRIIZDDDBKDP6EONEJM4A.png

Cleveland brewery Saucy Brew Works opening Detroit location in 2020 (https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2019/12/11/cleveland-based-saucy-brew-works-opening-detroit-location-2020/4392000002/)

As Detroit's beer scene continues to grow, another brewery will soon make their debut in the Motor City.

Cleveland-based Saucy Brew Works is expected to open their first Michigan location next spring, stated marketing manager Shelby Nicholson via email Tuesday. The brewery will be part of Bedrock's mixed-use City Modern development that is currently under construction in Brush Park.

"We're excited to join another market that is similar to and near our home market of Cleveland, Ohio," said Nicholson.

[Innsertnamehere]

wait, Comerica Bank does not have a branch at their downtown offices? What kind of bank does that? Every single bank in Toronto has a massive super luxury branch in their main downtown building (one even includes a ~20 storey atrium!).

Mind you Toronto's bank HQs are the global HQs for most of them, I'm not sure if that would change the situation. Even then it just seems odd to have your offices in a major downtown location and not provide a branch to service customers.

[DetroitSky]

Comerica has other locations in and around downtown. I’m not sure why they waited so long to open one in their regional headquarters. I agree it is strange, especially because Comerica’s corporate headquarters was in downtown Detroit until 2011 or so.

[The North One]

Mind you Toronto's bank HQs are the global HQs for most of them, I'm not sure if that would change the situation. Even then it just seems odd to have your offices in a major downtown location and not provide a branch to service customers.

Comerica is incompetent garbage and they do absolutely nothing right.

[seabee1526]

Are there plans for highrise waterfront residential tower(s)?

[DetroitSky]

Are there plans for highrise waterfront residential tower(s)?

There's the Stone Soap development, if that ever gets off the ground. Would be about 7 floors. Then on that same block there's a planned hotel and apartment development, about 8 floors. No solid plans have been announced for that yet. Then there's the Jefferson Van Dyke project, which is a 7 floor apartment building. There's also this project (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/bankruptcy-creditor-seeks-2-more-years-acquire-properties-east-detroit-riverfront), but obviously that's a few years off still.

Then there's potential towers at the Joe Louis site, Jefferson and Grand Blvd, and the Uniroyal site, but we haven't seen anything announced yet.

I haven't heard anything about it, but I doubt we're far off from seeing the Whittier renovated too.

[DetroitSky]

So Crain's recently change how their paywall works and the old method of googling the article to get around it no longer works. I don't feel like paying for news I can mostly get elsewhere for free. Call me cheap, but it is what it is. Hopefully another forumer is a Crain's subscriber and can post the articles for the rest of us. They put out articles today about Detroit and FCA are starting a $1.8M home repair program (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/news/detroit-fiat-chrysler-roll-out-18-million-home-repair-program-near-mack-plant) in the vicinity of the new Mack plant and how a planned apartment building at John R and Garfield (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/apartment-project-across-detroit-medical-center-gets-state-financing) across from the DMC received state financing.

New Wayne County jail complex rising rapidly near I-75 in Detroit. Here's a look at its progress. (https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/john-gallagher/2019/12/17/wayne-county-jail-complex-detroit/2675954001/)

Looks like the second time's the charm for the effort to build a new Wayne County Jail and courthouse complex.

Construction officials led reporters on a hard-hat tour Tuesday of the building site for the future Wayne County Criminal Justice Center, located east of I-75 a couple of blocks north of Warren in Detroit.

Set for completion by third quarter 2022, the jail and courthouse complex recently began seeing more visible progress as steel went up for the planned seven-story courthouse and the first walls were erected for the new Adult Detention Facility, or jail. The work is visible from I-75 and nearby streets.

In all, five buildings are planned for the new site — the courthouse to replace the existing Frank Murphy Hall of Justice downtown, the adult jail, a juvenile detention facility, an administration building and a utilities building. The total cost was budgeted at $533 million. The project is currently over budget by something less than $40 million as construction costs have risen sharply.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/12/17/PDTF/2ff30e16-8cc5-48ca-9071-0639c0080ffa-WayneCtyJail_120319_kpm_20.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp
Courthouse

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/12/17/PDTF/552cd78d-4f01-4f44-87fa-ab243747e489-jail_rendering_1.jpeg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp
Courthouse rendering

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/12/17/PDTF/09996202-8692-4fd4-8c72-1850d2538d08-WayneCtyJail_120319_kpm_296.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp
Adult detention center

Highest structural beam placed on Fiat Chrysler's new Detroit plant (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/chrysler/2019/12/13/fiat-chrysler-detroit-plant-construction-milestone-highest-beam/4413393002/)

The top-most steel beam of 299 at Fiat Chrysler Automobile NV's plant on Detroit's east side was put in place with an actual evergreen on top to mark the successful and safe completion of the job. The milestone comes four months after the first beam was in put in place.

The $1.6 billion project is transforming the former Mack Avenue Engine Complex into an assembly plant for the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV and a new three-row, full-size Jeep SUV. It will employ 3,850 people. The vehicles are expected to begin rolling off the line by the end of 2020.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/12/13/PDTN/1b3d6da0-f8ab-4377-b4d5-3e50cec84940-2019-1213-jg-FCA-Beam-002.JPG?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

Gallery: Detroit Lawyer Revives Popular Shrimp Shack In Highland Park (https://deadlinedetroit.com/articles/23917/gallery_detroit_lawyer_revives_popular_shrimp_shack_in_highland_park)

Detroit lawyer Todd Perkins is known for representing high-profile clients including former Detroit Councilman George Cushingberry and Floyd Merriweather Jr., a middleweight champion boxer.

Now, in addtion to his downtown Detroit law practice, Perkins has reopened a popular carryout restaurant, Miley & Miley Shrimp Shack at 13548 Woodward Ave. in Highland Park, that had been closed for about a half-dozen years.

Perkins has renamed the restaurant Lanette's Shrimp House after his wife Jetuan Lanette Perkins, who passed away in April 2016 from complications from Lupus, a long-term autoimmune disease. She was a social worker who became a stay-at-home mom who was active in community affairs.

Opening a restaurant, Perkins said "was an idea that my wife and I had." He said the idea was that the family, including the two young children, would work there.

https://dd-res.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/IMG_6500_39515.jpg

[DetroitSky]

Curbed released an article today about the Garfield - John R project, and, unsurprisingly, it has been scaled back due to rising construction costs:

$36.6M Midtown apartment building secures funding, ready for 2020 construction (https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/12/18/21028106/sugar-hill-midtown-dmc-develop-detroit-apartment-building)

A mixed-use apartment building in the Sugar Hill Arts District of Midtown is now ready for construction after a delay caused by financing challenges.

A joint venture by nonprofit developers Develop Detroit and Preservation of Affordable Housing Inc., the new building at John R and Garfield streets will bring 54 apartment units, 11,800 feet of ground-floor retail, and a 160-space parking structure.

About 25 percent of the apartments, 14 in total, will be reserved as affordable for those making between 50 to 60 percent of the area median income. The Sugar Hill development is across from the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, and many of those units will be targeted to homeless veterans through the HUD-VASH voucher program.

The total development cost is estimated at $36.6 million. Construction is expected to begin in early 2020 and take around 18 months.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3C5fbjmrgINY2chqjwZlazVGEx0=/0x0:4000x2687/920x613/filters:focal(1766x1537:2406x2177)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65931141/Sugar_Hill_rendering_John_R_Dec_2019.0.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tkmv9Vy8NcX3jne2YDizEq2W4ns=/0x0:1087x709/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1087x709):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8663763/SHsite.PNG

[Innsertnamehere]

Why the heck do they need 160 parking spaces for 54 units? That’s like 3 spaces per unit. No kidding it needed to be scaled back.

[SperamusMeliora]

Why the heck do they need 160 parking spaces for 54 units? That’s like 3 spaces per unit. No kidding it needed to be scaled back.

City ordinance requires 0.75 spaces for every unit in this building plus another 0.75 spaces for every 200 sq ft of retail space (100 sq ft for restaurants) because it’s within ¼ mile of a street-car/light rail or bus rapid transit line. So that’s 40.5 spaces for the residents and 44.25 to 88.5 for the retail space, giving us a total of 85 to 129 required off-street parking spaces.

I’d guess the extra 30 spaces are just for good measure.

[The North One]

Why the heck do they need 160 parking spaces for 54 units? That’s like 3 spaces per unit. No kidding it needed to be scaled back.

It's unacceptable, it needs nowhere near that amount of parking.

[DetroitSky]

The parking lot currently on the site is used by a lot of people visiting the DMC and vets hospital so they’re probably trying to maintain that revenue.

[subterranean]

The parking lot currently on the site is used by a lot of people visiting the DMC and vets hospital so they’re probably trying to maintain that revenue.

I thought the same thing, especially to offset the operating costs of the low income units.

[Innsertnamehere]

The cost of constructing a structured parking space is rarely profitable compared to the revenue it brings in. You can’t finance commercial parking on $10/day parking prices.

Parking is usually subsidized to service a specific tenant / use, separated general commercial parking rarely works out financially unless the parking rates are extremely high. I’m not sure about in Detroit, but in Toronto it generally costs about $50,000CAD to build a structured parking space, so to break even you need about $350CAD a month ($260USD), remembering that a parking space isn’t “sold” every day and weekends/holidays bring in much lower revenue. I’m sure it’s cheaper to build in Detroit but I’m doubtful these spaces would pull even half that revenue.

[DetroitSky]

The cost of constructing a structured parking space is rarely profitable compared to the revenue it brings in. You can’t finance commercial parking on $10/day parking prices.

Parking is usually subsidized to service a specific tenant / use, separated general commercial parking rarely works out financially unless the parking rates are extremely high. I’m not sure about in Detroit, but in Toronto it generally costs about $50,000CAD to build a structured parking space, so to break even you need about $350CAD a month ($260USD), remembering that a parking space isn’t “sold” every day and weekends/holidays bring in much lower revenue. I’m sure it’s cheaper to build in Detroit but I’m doubtful these spaces would pull even half that revenue.

I don’t think you understand the situation. The structure is attached to a residential/retail building, so most of the parking will go to those renting/shopping in the building. It’s across from the largest hospital in the state, and since we don’t have the transit options Toronto has, parking is in high demand around here. I can guarantee spaces will be considerably more than $10 a space. But this garage isn’t being built just as parking for hospital guests. We’re talking just a few dozen spaces.

And in Detroit there are plenty of garages that have been built that aren’t for any specific building/use. A lot of garages in the downtown area exist to service buildings in the immediate area as well as visitors to downtown in general.

You need to keep in mind that driving personal cars is the main mode of transit in metro Detroit and that causes parking spaces to be in high demand.

[animatedmartian]

From data I can find, most parking garages in Detroit tend to be profitable albeit not really any more profitable compared to surface lots.

If comparing Detroit to Toronto, what makes a big difference for Detroit is having 3 stadiums next door to each other near the core of downtown. That means there's actually very limited parking space if there are any special events during a normal workweek/summer weekend. In addition to Detroit's general lack of mass transit, this makes the price of parking higher than it otherwise would be.

[DetroitSky]

Silicon Valley tech accelerator to open space in downtown Detroit (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/chrysler/2020/01/02/plug-and-play-partners-fiat-chrysler-detroit-innovation-hub/2795181001/)

Detroit — A Silicon Valley innovation platform that helps to grow start-up companies plans to open a technology hub in downtown Detroit this spring.

In the latest sign that the city is becoming a tech center, Plug and Play said Thursday it is partnering with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council to provide Michigan companies better access to young companies that are looking to shape the future and bring them to Detroit. It also will emphasize businesses owned by women and minorities.

"We have five locations focused on automotive mobility," said Sobhan Khani, vice president of mobility for Plug and Play. "There's one in Silicon Valley, in Stuttgart (Germany) in Europe, in Japan, in Beijing and Shanghai. In the U.S., we felt one location was missing in the automotive industry."

"Plug and Play Detroit powered by AmplifyD" (Amplify:Diversity) plans to secure space in downtown Detroit for the innovation hub in the first quarter of 2020 to open with its first class by June.

Classes typically include 15-20 start-ups from around the world who apply. Two classes typically are held each year. Plug and Play provides its platform to help these entrepreneurs access mentoring, financing and space to research and develop their technology.

Gordie Howe bridge project scores $15 million in federal funds (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/01/02/gordie-howe-bridge-project-scores-15-million-federal-funds/2795404001/)

The first U.S. funding for customs and border protection for the Gordie Howe International Bridge was part of a $1.4 trillion spending package that President Donald Trump signed into law at the end of last year.

The package allocated $15 million for inspection and screening systems at the upcoming bridge, which will connect Windsor and Detroit and is expected to be completed in 2024.

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, pushed for the funding, which "will allow for faster, more effective examinations of cargo and passengers," according to a November letter Peters wrote to other lawmakers.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2018/12/04/PDTN/3eb7ab24-8d43-4dd3-b411-be5bf3a5287e-View_of_the_Gordie_Howe_International_Bridge_from_the_shore.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

The Henry Glover House Project's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/thegloverhouse/) posts regular updates on the renovation. Here's some photos from today:

https://scontent.fyip1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/81537490_2611953175548513_7448492766176215040_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_ohc=WJ7baIcygHAAQnwY_v6WUYWpcl7wCdR-1z8xThsfFFvBZ4wLP61MjAFfQ&_nc_ht=scontent.fyip1-1.fna&oh=64ac099275ae76107c14c1e121ceaaf0&oe=5EB1A8E9

https://scontent.fyip1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/81374429_2611953215548509_1855857949876944896_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_ohc=jKAHUYwTVLAAQllNQdNO6m4yEVAZhngJPduRDQLEiQtjY7JLCKMhLNv6A&_nc_ht=scontent.fyip1-1.fna&oh=9d755c95c5503fbb2fcce11b29983cd2&oe=5EA8BC32

https://scontent.fyip1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/81028241_2611953265548504_3340808914982666240_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&_nc_ohc=TwvekRAgjBAAQmyzkZZkmioT8ZqjPVBGmPEvYz-ckn5a8Qx-S2xW90Ylg&_nc_ht=scontent.fyip1-1.fna&oh=a58e20f757cc40c17366fffd9157171c&oe=5EABDC62

https://scontent.fyip1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/81592914_2611953298881834_4629862268484452352_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_ohc=kFf5wGtnyKAAQkMJTh576bU83NqZXodQaQI09URkR2hwBsn_nj6P4iKLg&_nc_ht=scontent.fyip1-1.fna&oh=a4a337146881af6c6e7f8e4cde39fa20&oe=5E99E7B2

https://scontent.fyip1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/81765872_2611953362215161_1732410002695520256_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_ohc=rsMul2CWMJ8AQm6jrpzF_8widhUgLwX-rBnLTi8VOp_KFriQevcLCfu-Q&_nc_ht=scontent.fyip1-1.fna&oh=3ac36048f109c08754b789e7c5687539&oe=5E6CEB15

Lowell on DetroitYes (https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?24435-Milwaukee-Junction-Rising) posted some photos of projects in Milwaukee Junction:

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/attachment.php?attachmentid=39448&d=1577638062

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/attachment.php?attachmentid=39449&d=1577638297
Chroma

https://detroityes.com/webisodes/2019/Milwaukee-Junction-3.png

https://detroityes.com/webisodes/2019/Milwaukee-Junction-4.png
This might be demolition. They've removed a lot of overgrowth and debris, though. I'll have to go by soon and take a look.

https://detroityes.com/webisodes/2019/Milwaukee-Junction-6.png
These apartments are just south of Fisher Body Plant 21. Apparently a worker told Lowell they were being renovated.

Curbed (https://detroit.curbed.com/2020/1/2/21046445/detroit-developments-open-2020) put out this article today listing some of the major projects expected to be completed this year.

[uaarkson]

https://detroityes.com/webisodes/2019/Milwaukee-Junction-3.png

If this were a demolition, would they have bothered to painstakingly removed all the overgrowth? Hmmm.

With that said, the structure looks totally done for.

[SperamusMeliora]

If this were a demolition, would they have bothered to painstakingly removed all the overgrowth? Hmmm.

With that said, the structure looks totally done for.

Just did some light digging in the city's open data portal... The property was sold by the DLBA to Deluxe Real Estate LLC in mid-October. I could not find what permits were pulled demolition, or otherwise as the portal only includes up until 2 days after the sale date. (parcel no. 01003671)

[SperamusMeliora]

Design revealed for Gordie Howe bridge pedestrian spans over I-75 (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/construction/design-revealed-gordie-howe-bridge-pedestrian-spans-over-i-75)
As part of the Gordie Howe International Bridge construction, five arched pedestrian bridges will be built over the span's interchange with I-75 in Detroit.

The pedestrian bridges are planned over the highway at Solvay, Beard, Waterman, Junction and Lansing streets. Gordie Howe bridge construction contractor Bridging North America will build them between 2020 and 2024, according to a news release.

The paths will be 10 feet wide, with arched sides ranging 33 feet above the road, the release said. The bridges will be made of concrete with bronze-finished steel arches, metal alloy railings and LED lighting. They will accommodate cyclists and those on foot.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/rendering%20bridge%20night-main_i.png

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/styles/width_792/public/bridge%20rendering-02_i.png

Elmwood Park Plaza tower to be renamed, renovated in $25 million effort (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/elmwood-park-plaza-tower-be-renamed-renovated-25-million-effort)
Construction on City Club Apartments Lafayette Park, formerly Elmwood Park Plaza at 750 Chene St. between Larned and Lafayette streets, is expected to begin this month with residents moving into renovated units starting in the spring.

Among the renovations are an 18th-floor lounge, greenery added to the building's facade, new landscaping, extensively renovated and redesigned apartment interiors, a fitness center, heated pool and hot tub, a beach volleyball court and a outdoor grill.

Market rents will be $1,250 to $1,550, according to City Club Apartments.

https://s3-prod.crainsdetroit.com/s3fs-public/ElmwoodParkPlazaRendering_i.png

[DetroitSky]

One less abandoned commercial building:

Entrepreneur Nya Marshall brings Ivy Kitchen and Cocktails to Detroit's east side (https://www.modeldmedia.com/features/ivy-kitchen-010720.aspx)

A native east sider, Marshall moved back to Detroit and purchased property in the area seven years ago, ahead of its resurgence. The adjoining buildings at 9215 E. Jefferson Ave. in East Village were abandoned and dilapidated. “When I bought the property, there was no front facade,” Marshall says. “The buildings were covered in ivy. When we finally began the renovations, time and time again we would pull the ivy out and it would come right back. The resilience of the plant truly inspired me.”

The ivy plant was one of the earliest crops in this part of Detroit back when the area was marsh and farmland. In the late 19th century, the plant was used for medicinal purposes. “At the library, I read that no new ivy had been planted in this area in over a hundred years. These were essentially the same leaves, that just kept coming back.” The ivy leaves that once adorned the building inspired the name of the restaurant.

Ivy Kitchen and Cocktails' new American diverse menu is curated by Marshall and her executive chef, Devante Burnley. Pasta dishes are prominently featured, as well as seafood and chicken dishes like the Buffalo chicken sandwich — a hearty portion of chicken breast dousedin Buffalo sauce, topped with ribboned carrots and celery and charred Gorgonzola cheese. The menu also features unique dessert items including a decadent chocolate mousse.

https://www.modeldmedia.com/FilterD/images/ivy.jpg?s=p

Motown Museum nets $1M more in expansion campaign as Dresner Foundation steps up (https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/brian-mccollum/2020/01/09/motown-museum-fundraising-joseph-dresner-foundation/2847202001/)

After a high-profile year of anniversary events and celebrations, the momentum rolls on for the Motown Museum.

The Detroit institution announced on Thursday the latest gift in its ongoing expansion fundraising campaign — a $1 million grant from the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation in West Bloomfield.

The funds will support programming for Hitsville Next, which will serve as hub to the museum's educational, entrepreneurial and community programming upon completion.

The Motown Museum's $50 million fundraising effort launched in late 2016 and crossed the halfway mark last year.

Hitsville Next, the first of four expansion phases at the West Grand Boulevard site, broke ground in September with a host of dignitaries including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. It will link three of the houses just east of the Hitsville, U.S.A., building that is now the heart of the Motown Museum and its fabled Studio A.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/01/08/PDTF/087a3b4a-9779-431e-8691-cb04167a3b31-hitsville_1.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

It looks like the first two pieces of steel have been put in place at the Hudson's Site. The first one is at 0:23 in the video in the upper left hand corner. A second is put in place at 2:54 directly behind the first. Video here. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzvU8zfsRjw&t=39s)

[DetroitSky]

Minipark 'a win' for Grandmont Rosedale in Detroit (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2020/01/10/minipark-grandmont-rosedale-detroit/2832315001/)

Detroit — An awkward intersection along Grand River in the Grandmont Rosedale area frequently attracts speeding motorists and trash. So the community and the city came up with a big idea for a very small space: redesign the 7,500-square-foot patch as a minipark, or “parklet.”

Construction of the $700,000 Grand Parklet Streetscape Project at the corner of Grand River, Puritan and Plainview is expected to start this spring.

Renderings show landscaping that will give the space a park-like atmosphere with trees, flowers and grass. Space in the rear of the parklet along Puritan would accommodate food trucks.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/01/10/PDTN/b3c53237-54a7-4c13-93ca-cc3a10a05271-grand_parklet.JPG?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

Detroit's municipal center gets $4 million renovation (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2020/01/10/detroit-city-hall-gets-4-m-plaza-entrance-off-larned/4425451002/)

Detroit — City Hall has undergone a $4 million overhaul to make its north entrance more accessible.

The Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority this week opened the new Larned Plaza at its north entrance of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. The six-month project, paid for by Detroit and Wayne County, includes an expanded ADA-compliant ramp, bike loops and pedestrian seating, and the reopening of a circular driveway for vehicle drop-off and pick-up.

The pedestrian-friendly plaza is the first exterior entrance renovation effort since the building opened in 1954. The circular drive had been closed since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, officials said.

The center houses 47 elected officials, 1,600 city and county employees and has about 5,000 visitors daily.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/01/10/PDTN/68e2a97e-95aa-4087-be1e-3fcbb58c4fae-2020-0110-mo-plaza363.JPG?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/01/10/PDTN/61564932-6710-40b0-866c-7cfe216bccfa-2020-0110-mo-plaza384.JPG?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

A New Hampshire-Via-Detroit Roaster Plans a Coffee Shop for McDougall-Hunt (https://detroit.eater.com/2020/1/3/21048519/james-oliver-coffee-co-mcdougall-hunt-coffee-shop)

The coffee shop will take over part of the industrial building that used to house badge-maker Weyhing Brothers — it’ll feature 15 seats, as well as a small conference room with space for another 12 people; a walk-up window will serve both coffee and light bites.

It’ll be the first brick and mortar location for James Oliver, which has stuck to roasting up until now. With his mother a former public school teacher, Shock also wants to run a community-minded operation — the roaster currently sells a blend named Alma Mater, and $7.50 from every sale of it goes to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JsoamtUxz0ilCblt2lxzoFlP6JM=/0x0:1600x895/920x613/filters:focal(835x465:1091x721)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66019782/james_oliver_coffee.0.jpg
3040 Gratiot

[DetroitSky]

Meh, this doesn't surprise me:

Facing delays and rising construction costs, The Mid scales back (https://detroit.curbed.com/2020/1/13/21063921/the-mid-midtown-detroit-delay-construction)

Soon after the Michigan Strategic Fund awarded the project $58.3 million in incentives through the state’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program, developer Real Estate Interests expected to break ground in September.

But now, Crain’s Detroit Business reports that the developers still have a financing gap to close and the nine floors of luxury condominiums are unlikely to be built. The total cost of the project rose over $60 million just five months after it was announced, and profit margins do not justify their inclusion.

The rest of the designs for the multi-building project are being reevaluated. Original plans called for a 225-room hotel, 60 for-sale condos, 180 apartment units, a 12-story “co-living” tower, and 100,000 square-feet of retail space across 3.8 acres and several buildings on Woodward Avenue. It was last expected to cost $377 million.

Despite these issues, the developers say the project is still moving forward.

She added that construction is expected to begin by the end of February.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tM5u1JsyDmwZvc3cdsewbaTziNA=/0x0:6400x3600/920x613/filters:focal(2688x1288:3712x2312)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66093198/TheMid1.0.jpg

This sale was supposed to include the plans for the 8 story Studio Live apartment building. The article doesn't mention Studio Live but mentions the sale included the parking lot where the new building was planned. We can probably assume they're not pursuing construction due to rising construction costs like everything else:

New Center developers buy former WJBK building for $2.6M (https://detroit.curbed.com/2020/1/13/21063606/buy-wjbk-tv-building-new-center-detroit)

Work is well underway at the Albert Kahn Building in New Center to convert the historic office building into 206 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments with ground-floor retail. Meanwhile, developers Adam Lutz and Matt Sosin have just made another major purchase across the street.

Near the end of 2019, the groups closed on the former WJBK-TV Studios building at 7441 2nd Avenue for $2.6 million. Ottawa-based Halcor listed it in May last year for $3.5 million with Vincent Mazzola of O’Connor Real Estate.

Matt Sosin, president of Northern Equities Group, says they have no definite plans for the property at the moment. “It remains to be seen what will happen with the building,” he says. “The building, the site, the zoning are flexible. You can do office, hotel, apartments.” It also comes with 80 parking spots.

Instead, the group is focused on completing The Residences at the Albert Kahn and are offering the WJBK building for rent. The leasing agent is AJ Weiner at JLL.

The article also includes info on the Albert Kahn Building renovation, now called The Residences at the Albert Kahn:

Lutz and Sosin say The Residences at the Albert Kahn are on track for a summer 2020 completion date—one of the few developments expected to finish on schedule due to rising construction costs.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nFtorgtfCxzZdmVGZylbag6sohs=/0x0:1350x900/920x613/filters:focal(426x426:642x642)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66091778/image__9_.0.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SSLNkMUG1-VMiPPcd_4Lx463guM=/0x0:1440x960/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1440x960):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19597846/albert_kahn_building.jpg

NAIAS Adds International Motor Bella Outdoor Event to Kick Off 2020 Auto Show in June (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/naias-adds-international-motor-bella-outdoor-event-to-kick-off-2020-auto-show-in-june/)

The North American International Auto Show today announced that a new outdoor event – Motor Bella Presented by PNC Bank – will kick off show activities June 5-8 on Broadway Street on the west side of the Detroit Opera House in the central business district.

Motor Bella will be a celebration of Italian and British car culture in a thriving part of Detroit during the weekend leading up to the NAIAS’s Press Preview. During the four-day festival, exotic car club members from dozens of clubs along with local supercar enthusiasts will experience some of the world’s finest supercars alongside authentic food and culture from the region.

“When we began to re-envision NAIAS, our goal was to expand the show into the city, provide more ways for the community to interact with the brands, and really showcase the global car culture throughout Detroit,” says Rod Alberts, executive director of the NAIAS. “Motor Bella will take place in one of the most dynamic and growing areas of the city and will give show goers an opportunity to engage with Italian and British luxury and sports car brands.”

Motor Bella, which is expected to feature more than 100 Italian and British supercars representing 12 brands, such as Ferrari and Rolls Royce, takes its name from the combination of motor and bella, which combines the historical British concept of “motoring” with the Italian word for beautiful. Motor Bella will be produced by NAIAS in association with the Consulate of Italy in Detroit and British Consulate General in Chicago, support from sponsors, and the anticipated participation of several dozen car clubs.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2020/01/Motor-Bella.jpg

Detroit’s giant RoboCop statue almost finished after nearly 10 years: Where it will be displayed (https://www.mlive.com/life/2020/01/detroits-giant-robocop-statue-almost-finished-after-nearly-10-years-where-it-will-be-displayed.html)

DETROIT - Detroit will soon have its long-awaited RoboCop statue on display in the city. After nearly 10 years in the making, the giant bronze statue depicting the cyborg law enforcer from the 1987 movie, who patrolled the streets of Detroit in the near future, is nearly complete.

Organizers, who started the Kickstarter campaign in 2011, tell MLive the statue should be done by the end of March. Once it’s complete, the statue will be put on display outside the Michigan Science Center on John R St. most likely sometime this spring.

https://www.mlive.com/resizer/tTgCe3tEJUwiKPeSDvYfGN7Csj4=/700x0/smart/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-advancelocal.s3.amazonaws.com/public/QS4FH3WJFBG2ZJHVJBZZQM6L4M.jpg

[Detroit]

Couple pics I was able to snap at the Hudson Site this morning.
http://i.imgur.com/Fs6obHO.jpg (https://imgur.com/Fs6obHO)
http://i.imgur.com/q6i0Ny2.jpg (https://imgur.com/q6i0Ny2)

[davidberko]

Couple pics I was able to snap at the Hudson Site this morning.
http://i.imgur.com/Fs6obHO.jpg (https://imgur.com/Fs6obHO)
http://i.imgur.com/q6i0Ny2.jpg (https://imgur.com/q6i0Ny2)

Woohoo! Going vertical! Thanks for sharing

[DetroitSky]

Speaking of the Hudson's Site, the base for the second crane was put in place today as seen in this video. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niNXlny9sgU)

[DetroitSky]

And with this all retail space at Shinola Hotel is leased:

Mister Dips to bring griddle burgers and dairy dips to Shinola Hotel (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/dining/2020/01/15/mister-dips-bring-griddle-burgers-and-dairy-dips-shinola-hotel/4481810002/)

The latest Detroit food venture from New York City's NoHo Hospitality Group is Mister Dips, a burger joint set to open in Parker's Alley by the Shinola Hotel this spring.

The 2,000-square-foot restaurant will have around 30 seats and serve griddle burgers, waffle fries and "dairy dips," soft serve ice cream dipped in flavors and toppings.

Bedrock releases new renderings of One Campus Martius expansion ahead of opening (https://detroit.curbed.com/2020/1/15/21067619/one-campus-martius-bedrock-detroit-expansion)

The completion of One Campus Martius’s expansion is just around the corner.

Since 2018, Bedrock Detroit, the Dan Gilbert–owned development company, has been steadily working on an addition to its flagship building downtown. Once completed, the $95 million expansion on the skyscraper’s northern side will add over 300,00 square feet of office space. Prior to the expansion, One Campus Martius was already around 1 million square feet.

The building will also have rentable event space. The 27,529-square-foot venue will contain a main area that can be divided into three separate rooms and a wraparound outdoor terrace. The whole space will be able to hold up to 999 guests.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Q4Zbta39wkpIZxmH4WIO3llr6UA=/0x0:2048x1706/920x613/filters:focal(776x852:1102x1178)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66109481/OCMEventSpaceRenderings_20190606_004.0.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UzC0zeivO_caVTgesnUCyS8OTAI=/0x0:1923x2048/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1923x2048):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19603828/OCMEventSpaceRenderings_20190606_002.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cs5YPRZlcujayIUjYR2COxue0ew=/0x0:2048x1024/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1024):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19603977/OCMEventSpaceRenderings_20190611_001.jpg

[DetroitSky]

Drove by a few hours ago and the Michigan Mutual Liability Annex is gone. They've added signs announcing TCF Tower around the site as well. Here's a few renderings from Neumann/Smith (https://www.neumannsmith.com/project/tcf-tower/) that I don't think have been posted:

https://www.neumannsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Project-Page-Thumbnail_TCFTower-900x600-1-800x800.jpg

https://www.neumannsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2018134-Chemical-Bank-HQ-18th-Floor-View-of-Open-Office-1800x1013-1-400x400.jpg

https://www.neumannsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2018134-Chemical-Bank-HQ-19th-Floor-View-of-Reception-1800x1013-1-400x400.jpg

https://www.neumannsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2018134-TCF-HQ-Exterior-Dusk-Entry-View_2019.07.12-1800x1013-1-400x400.jpg

https://www.neumannsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TCF_Terrace-1800x925-1.jpg

I was skeptical of this project when it was first announced, but it looks better than I thought:

In Mexicantown, Detroit’s first-ever shared street is done (https://detroit.curbed.com/2020/1/16/21068713/bagley-street-mexicantown-detroit-shared-street)

Construction is complete on Detroit’s first-ever shared street. Covering two blocks of Bagley Street in Mexicantown, work finished in late 2019.

Between the I-75 Service Drive and 24th Street, there’s now an unmarked two-lane road of cement blocks, brick pavers on either side for parked cars, and street-level sidewalks made of another color of pavers. Small decorative designs repeat throughout the sidewalk. There’s also new landscaping and bollards to create visual interest and impediments for cars.

A spokesperson with the city’s Department of Public Works told Curbed Detroit that the project is “98 percent complete” aside from some festive lights that will be installed in March.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vku_A1CtAGnDBglWBHtcRdIO3WQ=/0x0:3999x2666/920x613/filters:focal(1560x953:2198x1591)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66114354/IMG_1144_2.0.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0IhhfRj62v1DyihaqYnIsGEos4E=/0x0:3989x2659/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3989x2659):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19605821/IMG_1137_2.jpg

[DetroitSky]

City estimates Detroit home values rose 20 percent last year (https://detroit.curbed.com/2020/1/22/21076875/detroit-home-property-values-increase)

The city of Detroit announced yesterday that its 2020 assessments of residential property taxes are expected to increase by an average of 20 percent. If correct, it would mark the largest increase in home values since 1997.

It would also mark three years of growth after 17 consecutive years of declining home values.

“This is great news for Detroit homeowners, particularly those who held on to their properties and stayed in the city,” Mayor Mike Duggan said at a Tuesday press conference announcing the findings.

According to the city, nearly half of Detroit’s neighborhoods saw their average home value increase between 20 to 30 percent. Those neighborhoods includes large swaths of Corktown, Boston-Edison, Southwest Detroit, the Villages, Jefferson-Chalmers, East English Village, the Live6 area, and others. Only 4 percent of neighborhoods saw home values decrease.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RcAioijgTxtmuybkMbrBF5-k24E=/0x0:590x382/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:590x382):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19620111/detroit_assessments.jpg

Eastern Market food hub among projects awarded tax incentives (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2020/01/22/eastern-market-food-hub-among-projects-awarded-tax-incentives/4541893002/)

A mixed-use food hub planned for Detroit’s Eastern Market is another step closer to construction after the Michigan Strategic Fund board on Wednesday approved $2.2 million in state tax incentives for the project.

The Mosaic Eastern Market Redevelopment Project will rehabilitate a 111,855-square-foot industrial building at 3500 Riopelle. Once complete, it will house Eastern Market Corp.’s accelerator for food entrepreneurs, a mix of food-based businesses, and 16,680 square feet of restaurant space, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/01/22/PDTF/9d93ada9-ea65-4f68-bff8-089083d4ed33-riopelle.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp
Mosaic at Eastern Market (https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2020/01/22/detroit-projects-osi-art-eastern-market/4534140002/)

The MSF board approved $1.6 million in state tax incentives for a mixed-use development planned for 7891 East Jefferson. The project, known as Jefferson Van Dyke 2 LLC, will also receive a $3.3 million Michigan Community Revitalization Program performance-based loan.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/01/22/PDTF/ed6fbcb3-6026-423a-98ce-348e7686453d-Van_dyke.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp
Jefferson Van Dyke (https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2020/01/22/detroit-projects-osi-art-eastern-market/4534140002/)

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/01/22/PDTF/09349f19-8781-4745-9a92-b37ff969bb38-van_dyke_map.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp
Source (https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2020/01/22/detroit-projects-osi-art-eastern-market/4534140002/)

The Osi Apartments at West End, a mixed-use development planned for 3820 Grand River, was awarded nearly $195,000 in state tax incentives Wednesday as well as a $1.2 million Michigan Community Revitalization Program performance-based loan.

The project involves the construction of a four-story, mixed-use building along the Grand River corridor in the Woodbridge neighborhood. When complete, the development will include retail space and 30 units of mixed-income residential housing, according to the MEDC.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/01/21/PDTF/1e784f6f-07cf-4de9-984b-11079a8824e3-oni.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp
Osi Art Apartments at West End (https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2020/01/22/detroit-projects-osi-art-eastern-market/4534140002/)

Detroit’s Atwater Brewery to be Acquired by Chicago’s Tenth and Blake Beer Co. (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/detroits-atwater-brewery-to-be-acquired-by-chicagos-tenth-and-blake-beer-co/)

Detroit’s Atwater Brewery has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Chicago’s Tenth and Blake Beer Co., the U.S. craft division of Colorado’s Molson Coors Beverage Co. Atwater is known in Michigan for its ales and traditional German-style lagers. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.

“The agreement with Tenth and Blake is both the culmination of our past and the catapult to our future,” says Mark Rieth, owner of Atwater. “For Atwater to continue to grow, it will require both capital and brewing expertise. Tenth and Blake brings both, which makes them the ideal strategic partner to help us continue to live our mantra, ‘Born in Detroit. Raised everywhere.’”

Rieth and his team will continue to lead Atwater’s day-to-day operations.

Atwater Block Brewery was founded in 1997 and revived Detroit’s brewing tradition from its location in the historic Rivertown district. After investing in the brewery in 2002, Rieth purchased it outright in 2005. Its best-selling beers include Dirty Blonde and Vanilla Java Porter. Other brands such as Better Life Choices and Decadent Dark Chocolate are also in the Atwater portfolio.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2020/01/Atwater-Brewery.jpg

Detroit casinos report record-setting revenue in 2019 (https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/01/22/detroit-casinos-report-record-setting-revenue-in-2019/)

DETROIT – Detroit’s three casinos set a record for adjusted gross revenue last year, earning $1.454 billion.

According to the state, that amount tops the record $1.444 billion set in 2018.

MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity Casino both had the highest yearly adjusted gross revenues since they opened in 1999. MGM Grand had a revenue of $623.5 million last year, and MotorCity had a revenue of $493.6 million.

[DetroitSky]

Streetscaping on McNichols and four other roads to begin this spring (https://detroit.curbed.com/2020/1/23/21079189/mcnichols-road-bus-bike-lanes-streetscaping-detroit)

Just as construction wraps up on several streetscaping projects in Detroit, more are expected to begin later this year.

The city of Detroit announced that, pending city council approval, the next round of infrastructure upgrades on streets across Detroit will begin with McNichols Road from Livernois to Greenlawn avenues. Construction could start in May and finish by the end of the year.

McNichols is one of five projects expected to start this year, including others on Conant Street, Rosa Parks Boulevard, Kercheval Avenue, and a parklet on Grand River Avenue.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CZ-skAPoajEq3BYUGz-Vn8lls-Q=/0x0:1920x835/920x613/filters:focal(579x260:885x566)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66156666/mcnichols.0.jpg
McNichols Road

This is iinteresting, and could potentially become something really cool:

Off The Street Wit It: Chief Craig Hopes A Legal Spinout Zone Can Tame Detroit Drift Hellcats (https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/24224/off_the_street_wit_it_chief_craig_hopes_a_legal_spinout_zone_can_tame_detroit_drift_hellcats)

Police Chief James Craig will try to steer I-94 donut spinners and on-the-Lodge-wit-it hellcats into a burnouts-allowed area of Detroit.

"We want to work very quickly to find a place where they can have an opportunity to drift in a safe way," he tells WXYZ, which says the top cop “is now working on an agreement with a group of drivers aimed at getting those who cause shutdowns on freeways and major intersections to stop.”

The club that warms to the idea is called Tripmode Active, whose followers enjoy loud, smoky spinouts, 360s and other car show-style stunts. Trouble is, they and others use streets and freeways for racetrack moves.

"We're tired of running and tired of them [cops] chasing us," Daryl Hairston said this week in a sit-down with the chief. "We're not trying to get in anyone's way. We're just really trying to have fun."

Craig has met twice "with a couple dozen drivers to secure a piece of property where they can do donuts, drift, and slide while keeping spectators safe," Kimberly Craig of WXYZ reports.

More Cruise Tourists Will Visit Detroit, Which Sends Reddit Overboard (https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/24229/more_cruise_passengers_will_visit_detroit_which_sends_reddit_overboard)

It's not as though actual Vikings are coming -- just Viking Cruises. Still, news that Detroit port stops are ahead makes waves at Reddit's local forum.

The Swiss-based line is booking eight-day voyages between Toronto and Milwaukee that start in April 2022 and include a day in Detroit. Eight one-way sailings that cost a pricey $6,000 and up per person are scheduled aboard a 378-guest vessel called the Octantis, which isn't built yet.

https://dd-res.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/Viking_detroit_cruise_map_40128.jpg

Detroit's Latest Square Pizza Arrives In Corktown Next Week (https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/24221/detroit_s_latest_square_pizza_joint_opens_in_corktown_next_week)

New pizza spots have been popping up in the greater downtown area in the past few years. (One of our favorites is Mootz Pizzeria on Library Street.)

Now comes a Corktown square pizza maker, Michigan & Trumbull, which opens next Wedensday while awaiting liquor license approval, reports Brenna Houck of Eater Detroit:

Partners Kristen Calverley and Nate Peck are metro Detroit natives who together developed their own take on Detroit-style pizza while living in Pittsburgh. They got their start by sharing pizzas with friends and eventually evolved the business into a food stall at Federal Galley, one of two Galley Group food halls in the city.

https://dd-res.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/Michigan___Trumbull_pizza_restaurant__FB_40106.jpg
Michigan & Trumbull, 1441 W. Elizabeth St.

This article (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/chrysler/2020/01/23/detroiters-second-chance-apply-fiat-chrysler-fca-assembly-plant-jobs/4552234002/) includes a photo of FCA's Mack Avenue Assembly Plant construction:


https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/12/13/PDTN/329ce1c0-ca27-4b9c-8b79-efb01674f054-2019-1213-jg-FCA-Beam005.JPG?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

I came across this project online the other day and drove by today and its very much under renovation. Weston Hall Apartments, 2211 Pingree Street. (http://westonhall.live) They're planning to open this summer.

https://scontent.fyip1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/19250610_1270597966395310_1295832585804557745_o.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_ohc=KYBr6dCgm4gAX98V3RU&_nc_ht=scontent.fyip1-1.fna&oh=15606b1db701c6ffee29678a8eb0ba60&oe=5EC885ED

My next photo update will have a current photo.

Edit: What's with those mountains in the background? Lmao

[Tiorted9]

Those are the landfills out in Wayne

[subterranean]

I was laughing at that mountain too before I even read your comment LOL. Thanks for the update.

[DetroitSky]

This is huge:

GM commits to $2.2 billion investment and 2,200 jobs at Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly (https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2020/01/27/gm-detroit-hamtramck-poletown-assembly-plant-jobs/4564108002/)

General Motors is investing $2.2 billion in its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant to make it a state-of-the-art facility building electric and self-driving cars.

The automaker said Monday the plant will provide 2,200 jobs as it shifts to become the company's first all-electric vehicle plant.

Detroit-Hamtramck will start production of an all-electric pickup in late 2021, then build the Cruise Origin, an all-electric self-driving car.

"This will be General Motors' most technically advanced assembly plant," GM President Mark Reuss said in a news conference at the facility. "That's really amazing."

For now, the plant is set to idle for retooling on Feb. 28, meaning about 800 hourly workers could be laid off or transferred. Union leaders have set up informational meetings with members to discuss their futures starting Tuesday.

Detroit moves forward with plans to get historic Fort Wayne redeveloped (https://detroit.curbed.com/2020/1/28/21111952/historic-fort-wayne-detroit-preservation)

For years, Fort Wayne in Southwest Detroit has been steadily deteriorated with little funding going towards preservation. But a renewed push from the city to redevelop the historic site may soon change that.

The Detroit News is reporting that the city of Detroit will issue a request for information February 10 seeking development concepts for Fort Wayne. Development partners could be for- or nonprofits looking to occupy all or part of the city-owned 78-acre park. The city may also lease buildings and have a third party manage the property.

To encourage partnerships, it’s also going to lift land restrictions on the grounds to allow for a variety of potential developments.

In addition to the expansive grounds, the site includes the star-shaped fort built in 1842, a Native American burial mound, and various buildings including barracks, officers’ homes, a post office, and more. Many buildings will require extensive renovations and are in critical condition.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sG_9k_laVUuFi2m2b_yosXxZj40=/0x0:6720x4480/920x613/filters:focal(3141x1889:4215x2963)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66205868/fort_wayne.0.jpg
1848 barracks

This project is moving along quickly:

$22M multi-building development near West Village clears last financing hurdle (https://detroit.curbed.com/2020/1/27/21083894/west-village-jefferson-van-dyke-development)

A multi-building development near West Village led by the owner of the Leland Hotel has just gotten the last piece of financing necessary to move forward.

At Jefferson and Van Dyke avenues, developer Michael Higgins has plans for a mix of new and redeveloped buildings that would include 42 apartments, 17,000 square feet of commercial space, and a parking deck. Last week, the Michigan Strategic Fund approved two loans for the $22 million project through the Michigan Community Revitalization Program and in Brownfield Tax financing worth $4.9 million.

Construction could begin in the next three months and take 18 months to complete. Berardi Partners, which has offices in Detroit, Cleveland, and Columbus, is the architect.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3Ttyfd5ylSgxvo-NHOaaDSeFqlI=/0x0:1161x645/920x613/filters:focal(500x264:684x448)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66175116/jefferson_van_dyke_main_i.0.jpg

Old Soul Vintage prepares for February opening in Midtown (https://www.modeldmedia.com/devnews/old-soul-vintage012120.aspx)

In Midtown, there’s no shortage of places to eat or drink. But there’s about 15 places to shop, Mary Capicchioni says, with “half being gender specific or unaffordable.”

That’s why she’s opening Old Soul Vintage in mid-February at the corner of Cass and Martin Luther King. The business was one of 10 semifinalists in the most recent Hatch Detroit Contest. While the business didn’t make the final round, she has worked since then to open the store because she’s on a mission.

“I’m here to provide a positive retail impact in the community,” she says of her shop, which combines all of her passions for history, culture, and sustainability under one roof.

[jmcilreavy]

Hudson's site tower will not eclipse Ren Cen Marriott, Matt Cullen says
Tower concepts had reached up to 912 feet high as of September 2018, have been scaled back
Construction of mixed-use development on 2-acre site expected to be done in 2023



https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/hudsons-site-tower-will-not-be-tallest-michigan-after-all-ceo-gilberts-bedrock-says

[DetroitSky]

^Disappointing, but not surprising.

We'll see, I guess:

Ilitch organization says its trying harder to build the arena district (https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2020/02/01/chris-ilitch-organization-arena-district-detroit-little-caesars-arena/2859091001/)

The Ilitch organization is rebooting its approach to real estate development in the wake of criticism over the slow pace of construction for a large district around Little Caesars Arena.

Whether the new ambition and the half-dozen projects underway will be enough to quiet the critics is an open question.

The organization says it added dozens of staffers so that Olympia Development can handle more projects in-house and depend less on outside firms as partners. And it insists it is finally moving forward on some — although not all — of the stalled projects in the district.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/01/31/PDTF/0962f64f-0885-457c-8931-9f1e41d47e01-IMG_4018.JPG?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp
The Eddystone

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/12/05/PDTF/1d7713c2-7aa9-4874-ac67-55042bbf35cf-12052019_buildings-1.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp
Women's City Club Building

^This article incorrectly states that renovation work is underway on the United Artists Building and 1922 Cass as well construction resuming on 111 and 120 Henry. There's been no movement at any of these recently.

Michigan Central Station in Detroit to Add Fourth Building, Mobility Test Area, and Parks (https://www.dbusiness.com)

During a presentation today at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Detroit Policy Conference at the MotorCity Casino Hotel, Mary Culler, development director for Ford’s Michigan Central Station redevelopment, announced that the $744-million project will include a mobility test area behind the iconic train depot.

Showing a new site plan, Ford or one of its partners may add a building west of the train station, though no details of what the structure would be used for were offered. In addition, Ford plans to add an outdoor park between the station and the former Book Depository building (originally Roosevelt Warehouse), to be called The Triangle, as well as a Station Plaza in front of the train depot. The plaza will adjoin Roosevelt Park, which the city of Detroit plans to renovate.

In addition, the May Creek Greenway, a tributary that dates to the founding of Detroit by the French in 1701, which later was filled in to accommodate rail lines, will be converted into a landscaped trail similar to the Dequindre Cut east of downtown Detroit. The Greenway will be completed by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and connect the Corktown community to the upcoming Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park (west of the Riverfront Towers). The 22-acre park is scheduled to open in the next four year.

https://www.dbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2020/01/Ford-announcement.jpg

Plans unveiled for Hamtramck's Veterans Memorial Park (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2020/02/01/plans-unveiled-veterans-memorial-park-hamtramck/4625909002/)

Hamtramck — In the coming years, Hamtramck's Veterans Memorial Park could be transformed into a major destination brimming with features such as a splash pad, wooded trails, even outdoor "living rooms."

That's the vision officials have to help rejuvenate the historic site. Following public feedback and lengthy talks, preliminary plans for the 26-acre site were unveiled Friday night during a community meeting.

The long-gestating plan aims to help transform the land into "an activate and peaceful place that welcomes all of Hamtramck’s residents and visitors from Detroit and beyond," said Maura Rockcastle, principal and co-founder of Ten x Ten, the Minnesota-based landscape architecture and urbanism firm involved in the design.

The plan presented by the group and Global Detroit, the team that led the design and community engagement effort, has not yet been finalized and will likely include more input, Rockcastle said.

"It’s still a draft," she told the audience of nearly 100 participants at the People's Community Center. "We have a few more meetings to pull it all together."

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/02/01/PDTN/1e644983-4b3b-49fa-8632-da761377f840-IMG_0712.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

Photos: Take a look at Bedrock’s renovation of the David Stott Building (https://detroit.curbed.com/2020/1/29/21113888/david-stott-building-downtown-bedrock-detroit-development)

It took 90 years, but the David Stott Building has finally gotten the attention it deserves.

Bedrock Detroit, the Dan Gilbert–owned development firm, bought the Art Deco skyscraper in 2015 for $14.9 million and had been working on renovations for the past several years. It needed a lot of work—the previous owners, Shanghai-based investment firm DDI, did considerable damage to the historic building through just two years of mismanagement.

Now redevelopment on the Stott is complete—Bedrock finished the final pieces of restoration in summer 2019. It had been steadily opening floors and offering units for lease since 2018.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QT5T9Yo1SeTRY6s1ohQN3HUXJsY=/0x0:2500x3494/775x775/filters:focal(710x674:1110x1074)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66215101/david_stott_18_2500_width.0.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6PuFL_W-WKXT2dZ_jbACmtS-AwI=/0x0:2500x2337/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2337):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19655884/david_stott_01.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xNDiY1hOIjpfx1J7oHMQ7tP97Jg=/0x0:2500x2202/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2202):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19655894/david_stott_04.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/r2LHJn4svLTCAECQpQ0SOj_pUtw=/0x0:2500x2089/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2089):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19655900/david_stott_11.jpg

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yX0Tt8YGYDmfDB-XpQuBkFV0jEQ=/0x0:2500x2000/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19655908/lobby_ceiling_split__1_.jpg

[DetroitSky]

Ruth Ellis Center building 43 units of supportive housing for LGBTQ young adults (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2020/02/01/ruth-ellis-center-43-units-housing-lgbtq-young-adults-detroit/4529778002/)

Detroit — In 18 months, what's now an empty field on Clairmount, just west of Woodward, will be a new home for dozens of LGBTQ young adults now experiencing homelessness.

The 43-unit mixed-use permanent housing development is a collaboration between Highland Park’s Ruth Ellis Center and Full Circle Communities, a non-profit developer out of Chicago and represents a movement toward offering a vulnerable community housing before tackling other issues that can lead to homelessness.

Thirty-four of the units will be offered supported by vouchers that will cover most, if not all, of their expense. Eight units will be offered at low-cost. The final unit will be home to a live-in peer support specialist.

Renderings from Full Circle Communities' site (http://www.fccommunities.org/rec/):

http://www.fccommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Elevation_Image-1920x720.jpg

http://www.fccommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Corner_Image-1920x720.jpg

Detroit Announces Winners of Ford-created City:One Mobility Challenge (https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/detroit-announces-winners-of-ford-created-cityone-mobility-challenge/)

Mercy Education Project is a nonprofit charitable organization that proposed the creation of Rock City Mobility Stations, which would increase access to information and various types of mobility options. Each station would feature a kiosk stocked with signage, maps, bus schedules, and parking information. Outside the kiosk would be a central location for various modes of transportation, including bike-sharing, scooter, and ride-sharing services.

AbleLink is a technology solutions provider that proposed improving transportation for individuals with cognitive disabilities or other special needs with its WayFinder ecosystem. Whether they have a disability or low English proficiency, people will be able to download a customized WayFinder app and get instructions from a cloud-based WayFinder SMART Route Library to help route them to their destination and travel independently.

Finally, a team comprised of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, DTE, and local artists proposed improving the safety and walkability of the Michigan Avenue Bridge over the Lodge Freeway to better connect Corktown and Southwest Detroit to the downtown area. The project involves the installation of colorful public art commissioned from two Detroit-born artists, Freddy Diaz and Donald Calloway, paired with street furniture and amenities. This is intended to make the bridge more inviting for people using all modes of transportation, including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.

Table Tennis, Anyone? Pong Detroit Opens In Eastern Market (https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/24253/table_tennis_anyone_pong_detroit_opens_in_eastern_market)

Pong Detroit LLC took up residency last week at Bert's Warehouse in Detroit's Eastern Market, where it has set up a collective combining food and drinks with table tennis.

The company, started by Mal Lang, offers table rentals and supplies balls and paddles, Lang said in an email. Hours are 5-11 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday. Cost to rent a table is $10 per hour 5-7 p.m. and $15 per hour 7-11 p.m.

[SperamusMeliora]

This is a few months old, but I didn't see it posted here. Apparently in September, the DDP releases an annual development report. It includes a lot of projects we've covered, and I think a few we haven't.

DDP 2019 Downtown Detroit Development Update (https://downtowndetroit.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-Development-Report-Web-1.pdf)

[DetroitSky]

^I'm glad to see Broadway Lofts and the Gateway Center redevelopment are still planned. I'm very curious about the latter.

Another Corktown redevelopment coming soon:

Two James Owner Plans New Döner Kebab Spot and Tasting Room in Corktown (https://detroit.eater.com/2020/1/31/21117137/supergeil-detroit-restaurant-bar-corktown-opening-two-james-distillery)

The owner of Two James Distillery is plotting another project along Michigan Avenue. David Landrum tells Crain’s he’s in the process of building out a new restaurant called Supergeil with spirits production and an events space across the street from his Corktown tasting room at 2442 Michigan Ave.

Supergeil, which roughly means “super cool” or “super hot” in German, will capitalize on the city’s current obsession with döner kebab with some Mediterranean dishes also in the mix. Landrum tapped chef Brendan McCall, formerly of Ann Arbor’s Mani Osteria and Isalita, to head the restaurant. The rest of the 10,000-square-foot building will be devoted to bottling and blending spirits as well as an events space.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2GZsxK-UNBD7GmDCtrYUTXDdWEQ=/0x0:4032x3024/920x613/filters:focal(2150x1526:2794x2170)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66228344/Two_James_Restaurant_Building.0.jpg

[DetroitSportsFan]

Most recent update on the gateway center
https://www.crainsdetroit.com/voices-kirk-pinho/real-estate-insider-why-scaffolding-appeared-washington-boulevard-building

[lambe160]

Just stumbled across this

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/ac-hotel-marriott-take-place-west-elm-hotel-bonstelle-theatre-development