SkyscraperPage Forum - DETROIT: Brush Park City Modern

Prev12 3 4 Next

Viewing Page 1 of 4

Show 50 post(s) from this thread on one page

SkyscraperPage Forum (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/index.php)

- General Development (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=86)

- - DETROIT: Brush Park City Modern (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=225950)

animatedmartian

Nov 26, 2016 1:45 AM

DETROIT: Brush Park City Modern

Quote:

Large Brush Park project to start construction next week

By Daily Detroit Staff -Nov 25, 2016

The Brush Park neighborhood of Detroit at one time was full of the stately homes of some of the big leaders in the city.

There was a ton of buzz about the rehabilitation of the Ransom Gillis house last year, but there’s more to what’s going to happen to the neighborhood just east of Woodward and steps from the new Little Caesars Arena and the new QLINE.

Later this week major construction will kick off on what some estimate to be a $70 million or more investment into an area just larger than a city block that is going to remake this section of greater downtown Detroit.

The name of this is “City Modern Detroit,” designed as a walkable community whose website quotes urbanists like Jane Jacobs. The construction style is very modern set next to historic homes. The rough boundaries are going to be John R., Alfred, Brush and Edmond Place. It’ll contain about 410 residential units (up from previous estimates in the 330 range) and something like 20,000 square feet of retail.

In fact, the design has already won an award before being built. It took the Grand Prize at the Congress for New Urbanism’s 15th Annual Charter Awards. The project is being developed by a group led by Dan Gilbert.

Previously, it was said that about 20 percent of the new construction will be reserved for those with incomes at or below 80 percent of the area’s median income, which calculates to approximately $21,000.

Hard costs aren’t released yet, but estimates by others put the tag of this development at north of $70 million. Although there will be townhomes, carriage homes, “duplettes,” and flats available, pricing is not.

....

animatedmartian

Nov 26, 2016 2:13 AM

A little history on Brush Park.

In a modern sense, it started as a suburb of mansions on what then was the outskirts of a small rural Detroit. Residents were often wealthy businessmen and their families of the Victorian era. As the city grew and modernized, Brush Park became seedy and dilapidated. Even by the 1950s, Brush Park had already became a skid row. Today, only a handful of mansions are left standing and even fewer that are in any rehabilitated condition. Though that may all change very soon.

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psb3ekpsk4.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psgal7c4gc.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps7u6oapsj.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psaf1fsgqx.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psj0olrhxo.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psy8zq9n60.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps1f3nywxh.jpg

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...llis/76472086/

ardecila

Nov 27, 2016 6:47 PM

Wow, this is really pretty cool. The density and contemporary design remind me of something you'd see in Philly. I love the New York-esque planning with multi-family buildings on John R and Brush, and smaller homes on the side streets. Plus the mid-block pedestrian walk is pretty nice, and the woonerf design for the alleys.

From a real estate perspective - not sure this development will work. If I'm in the market for a home, why would I pay a new-construction premium to get a townhouse or mews house with literally no yard when I could buy an actual detached house with a decent sized backyard for the same price, and maybe even the opportunity to buy vacant lots next door?

Of course, urban Detroit is a strange and uncharted real estate market. Maybe the market doesn't place a premium on breathing room in a city with so much open space, and yawning wide open streets. Maybe the contemporary design and location will lure wealthier buyers that would have bought in the suburbs otherwise. :shrug: University/hospital employees, downtown workers, hell, even younger buyers with suburban jobs that don't want to live on a cul-de-sac.

So far, that formula has worked for rental developments in Detroit where people expect to live for a certain phase of life. But a for-sale development, which I assume the townhouses will be, requires a whole different strategy. You have to sell buyers on the long-term value, and those buyers have to somehow get financing for the purchase from banks that are probably reluctant to lend in a highly distressed area such as this.

I'm not saying these will doom the project, but I would love to see how the development team is planning to work around these challenges...

Bronxwood

Nov 27, 2016 8:50 PM

It's really great to see Detroit rebuilding its neighborhoods. It wouldve been nice to see more victorian influence in the new constructions or atleast something up to par with what use to be there, architecturally speaking. Building what resembles shipping containers would be my last option. But it's better than nothing.

animatedmartian

Nov 27, 2016 9:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila (Post 7634506)

I think you're slightly underestimating the current strength of Detroit's market. If you were talking about a neighborhood outside of downtown, then you'd be on the mark, however...

Midtown: 'No sign of oversupply' as 3,600 new apartments and condos planned in Detroit

Quote:

The opportunity exists. It's availability that's constrained. Many of those vacant parcels, like a few owned by Midtown Detroit, are already earmarked for projects – or they belong to public bodies or nonprofits, including Wayne State University, which may be holding them vacant or just using them for parking.

Quote:

And the average listing price for houses and condos was $283,813 that year [2015], or about $210 per square foot.

Data from Realcomp shows that number heading higher in 2016. In September, the median sales price was $349,000. At the same time, the number of listed properties fell further, to 26 in September. A year earlier, 38 were available. In September 2006, during Midtown's first housing wave in this millennium, 96 for-sale properties were on the market.

Quote:

The housing growth will keep enhancing the neighborhood, but experts point to some issues with it. One is the lack of condos or single-family homes available.

"It seems like most developers are going for rentals right now," said [Austin] Black. "... The demand is there for for-sale product."

$350K is actually a little bit higher than some of Detroit's trophy suburbs like the Grosse Pointes or Royal Oak. If anything the bigger challenge has been getting developments through city hall.

The North One

Nov 27, 2016 9:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila (Post 7634506)

From a real estate perspective - not sure this development will work. If I'm in the market for a home, why would I pay a new-construction premium to get a townhouse or mews house with literally no yard when I could buy an actual detached house with a decent sized backyard for the same price, and maybe even the opportunity to buy vacant lots next door?

You're thinking about this from the wrong perspective, obviously this development is not targeting people who want yards and open spaces, it targets the desire for those who want to live in a dense and walkable urban fabric (with a few limited transportation options) that midtown is increasingly providing. If they started building detached homes with yards that would defeat the whole purpose since you can get that anywhere in the suburbs and within the city proper. The urban housing inventory in Midtown is low and this is meant to increase the supply. Not everyone is willing to buy and build on their own vacant lot or invest in a remodel even if it's cheap, that's what developers are for.

Quote:

Of course, urban Detroit is a strange and uncharted real estate market. Maybe the market doesn't place a premium on breathing room in a city with so much open space, and yawning wide open streets. Maybe the contemporary design and location will lure wealthier buyers that would have bought in the suburbs otherwise. :shrug: University/hospital employees, downtown workers, hell, even younger buyers with suburban jobs that don't want to live on a cul-de-sac.

It's not nearly as "uncharted" as you think, the residential demand in the city's urban core is surging, entire apartment buildings sell out within weeks and even with new developments the market currently shows no signs of waning. It's due to the new trend for urban living and the momentum that new inner city investment brings (cities are returning to normalcy). Detroit has incredible historical bones and Gilbert knows exactly what he's doing building off of it, preserving what he can and increasing the value of the whole area.

Quote:

So far, that formula has worked for rental developments in Detroit where people expect to live for a certain phase of life. But a for-sale development, which I assume the townhouses will be, requires a whole different strategy. You have to sell buyers on the long-term value, and those buyers have to somehow get financing for the purchase from banks that are probably reluctant to lend in a highly distressed area such as this.

There is plenty of real estate within the city that sells for over $300,000 (lofts, detached homes, townhomes etc.) so it's not only rentals, although that's a big portion of sales. Almost everyone in the metro (except maybe racist baby boomer conservatives) recognizes the resurgence of the city and they have plenty of examples of real estate appreciation to back it up, Midtown is absolutely seen as a safe investment that is likely to appreciate. Banks can't discriminate loans based on location, that is illegal, they can only decide what they're willing to lend based on appraisal; there are banks like Chase that are already investing over one hundred million into Downtown and Midtown, the issue is more for major developments that rely on state loans for now but that is predicted to change very soon.

Anyway, the problem is more in the outer neighborhoods that receive the bulk of the crime and retain most of the blight that isn't really seeing investment and appreciation but the blight removal project which is funded by the federal government is helping. The truth is a lot of the surrounding neighborhoods may have to return to rural land, there are projects in motion for Apple Orchards, Greenhouses, etc. for those areas that are too far gone and were only filled with generic detached homes in the first place.

animatedmartian

Nov 29, 2016 11:42 PM

Today was the official groundbreaking.

• Video Link

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps8jihsa3q.jpg

Initial estimates had it at $70 million. According to Bedrock’s Steve Rosenthal, it’s well over $100 million now.
There will be 107 for-sale residences and 303 for-lease residences.
Ground will be broken next week today* on the corner of John R. and Alfred Street for the senior apartment building, which was design by Hamilton Anderson Associates. This building is receiving some tax credits, so it will have affordable housing options.
The senior apartment building should be done within 18 months, while the rest will be done in the next few years.
The next three historic homes will start renovations in the spring and should be done by the end of 2017. (Ransom Gillis was the first)
There will be 22,000 square feet of retail space available.

http://detroit.curbed.com/2016/11/29...on-city-modern

The North One

Nov 30, 2016 2:27 AM

This deserves some dancing Bananas if you ask me!

:banana::dancing::awesome:

Cucumber for good measure :cucumber:

PHL10

Nov 30, 2016 1:09 PM

Very cool development. Build it!

animatedmartian

Jan 21, 2017 6:14 PM

Lot of dirt being moved and lots being prepped. Picture from last weekend.

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pshetwpmcw.jpg

animatedmartian

Mar 18, 2017 12:00 AM

The condos won't start construction until May, but more than a dozen units are already sold. Surprising confidence for the city of Detroit. As expected, many of the buyers are downtown workers.

Quote:

Buyers Are Snapping Up The New City Modern Development In Brush Park
By Shianne Nocerini -Mar 17, 2017. Daily Detroit.

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psduyw5fxr.jpg

If you have driven through Brush Park lately you can already see the City Modern development taking shape.

City Modern is Bedrock’s answer to creating a complete urban environment, with mixed use and walkability across 8.4 acres of land in the Brush Park neighborhood of Detroit.

City Modern offers residents five different styles of homes; Historic Homes, Townhomes, Carriage Homes, The Duplettes, and The Flats.

Thursday, I was able to get a look at the five different models that developers Bedrock and Hunter Pasteur Homes are offering and check in on how the Townhomes and Carriage Homes are selling.

First, demand has been strong. Out of 39 units that have been made available, 16 have already been purchased. They expect seven more deals to be finalized this week.

The townhomes range anywhere from 1,835-2,680 square feet and will run between $536,450 and $761,960.

Construction will begin on May 1, and is estimated to be finished by the end of 2017 or early 2018.

While reservations for apartments inside the Flats will begin in early 2018, those looking to purchase inside City Modern have some options now. City Modern will eventually have 104 units available for purchase.

The carriage homes are made up of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units. Each of the carriage homes will also have a one car garage. Some of these units also offer a rooftop terrace and a central courtyard.

The carriage homes range anywhere from 730 square feet up to 2,005 square feet and cost between $250,000 and $645,860.

Just a note, there are only four of the one bedroom carriage homes and those are already spoken for. There is a crazy long waiting list for those units.

....

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psecfhqqdo.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pscuyg6gx2.jpg

http://www.dailydetroit.com/2017/03/...nt-brush-park/

animatedmartian

Mar 18, 2017 2:44 AM

Rizzo

Mar 18, 2017 3:00 AM

Hopefully the demand keeps pace and there will be blocks and blocks more of this. I love the density and variety of design.

Design-mind

Mar 19, 2017 9:52 PM

Wow I just stumbled across this and it is inspiring to see historic homes mixed with modern designs. I love these kind of developments that mix old with new. This is a project with watching!

animatedmartian

Apr 23, 2017 11:51 PM