DETROIT | Cadillac Square | FT | FLOORS

[animatedmartian]

Yet again another proposal for the Monroe Block. Although this one, headed by Dan Gilbert himself, actually has a good chance of making it though this time. However, the uncertainty will be how exactly big this will be as it's dependent on yet approved state tax credits. For now, these are just conceptual renderings on the target size and master planning of the project as there as yet no official architect for the project.

Target date for groundbreaking is in 2018.
Early estimate costs are $100 million plus.

The first phase, the Monroe Block, would contain 600,000 square feet of space, including 35,000 square feet of retail, in the office tower. The second phase, the National Theatre block, would have 225,000 square feet, including 25,000 square feet of retail, in the residential tower. It was not known how many residential units are planned.

There would be an unknown number of underground parking spaces for both phases along with public open spaces at each.

sources: http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...feet-of-office

http://detroit.curbed.com/2016/11/30...wn-development

http://www.freep.com/story/money/bus...629b4832ddc620

[animatedmartian]

Tony Hawk helps bring skate park to Bedrock development site in Detroit
By ANNALISE FRANK. Crain's Detroit. July 20, 2017.




Tony Hawk is helping bring a skate park to Bedrock LLC's future Monroe Blocks development in downtown Detroit.

The 4,600-square-foot public skate park and art installation, called Wayfinding, will open Aug. 16, according to a news release.

Hawk, the well-known professional skateboarder, helped design the skate park and is scheduled to attend the opening. The installation by artist Ryan McGinness is being produced by Detroit-based Library Street Collective and the Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills.

Dan Gilbert-owned Bedrock and the Quicken Loans Inc. family of companies financed and own the project. Bedrock declined to disclose how much it cost.

....

Monroe Blocks, bounded by Randolph Street, Bates Street, Cadillac Square and Monroe Avenue, will be home to a mixed-use development with retail, residential and office space. The installation will stay open until construction on Monroe Blocks breaks ground around January — but Wayfinding's mobile design means it could move to another location afterward.

....

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ite-in-detroit

Supposedly, any new details about the Monroe Block project will come out between now and January otherwise I'm still assuming the information provided about the project so far is preliminary.

[LMich]

I'm surprised that this will break ground in January. I thought Bedrock released this plan when it was still unclear if they'd get what they needed for the Hudson site. Really glad to hear this is not only still planned, but that we have a ground breaking scheduled.

[animatedmartian]

Downtown Detroit scale model includes the Monroe Block though the contrast isn't the greatest.











Source video.

Video Link

[LMich]

The Monroe Block office tower will be taller than originally rendered, and will be 35 floors.

New details, renderings for Gilbert's Monroe Block plan show huge ambitions

By John Gallager | Detroit Free Press

August 20, 2017

usinessman Dan Gilbert’s ambitious goal of “going vertical” with new downtown towers looks about to become reality big time.

Gilbert’s team plans to break ground in December on its Hudson’s site plan, an architecturally stunning mixed-use assemblage that will become Detroit’s tallest building.

And Gilbert plans to follow that in early 2018 breaking ground on his Monroe Block project.

New renderings and details released to the Free Press show the mostly vacant two-block stretch will see a shimmering 35-story office tower facing Campus Martius, backed by impressive amounts of retail, residential apartments, and new public plazas and "green" space.

If the Hudson's site tower will rank as Detroit's tallest building, the new details available for the Monroe Block remain equally impressive: It will feature 810,000 square feet of new office space, 170,000 square feet of new retail space, 482 new residential apartments, at least 900 parking spaces — many of which will be built underground, and some 48,000 square feet of public plazas and "green" space.

Total cost of the Monroe Block project: More than $800 million.

The apartment building:

[Steely Dan]

NICE!

if this one pops, along with the hudson block, then detroit is back in the skyscraper construction game for real!

you have to go back 4 decades to the building of the ren cen to find a time when detroit had two towers over 400' U/C at the same time.

let's hope it happens.

[LMich]

Larger versions of the renderings (and an aerial) from Bedrock:









If that last aerial is closer to the truth, this is closer to 500 feet than 400 feet.

[animatedmartian]

More renders.















http://www.shl.dk/monroe-blocks/
https://www.dezeen.com/2017/08/24/sc...ntown-detroit/

[BrandonJXN]

Build it NOW! Beautiful.

[Docta_Love]

^The Groundbreaking is scheduled for January of 2018 while the Hudson's block development is December of this year, they're both great projects that are going to dramatically alter the skyline this is a very exciting time to be in Detroit.

[animatedmartian]

Mr. Hemi of Reddit with reditions of the Monroe Block plus its taller neighbor, the Hudson's Tower.

[JMKeynes]

Very nice.

[LMich]

So, while preservationists are still pushing for the full inclusion and restoration of the National Theatre as part of this project, Bedrock is still committed to at least saving some of the facade for the project.

Todd McInturf | The Detroit News

Face-off time approaches for National Theatre

By Candice Williams | The Detroit News

December 26, 2017

Detroit — The historic National Theatre building in the city’s downtown is closer to a “façade-ectomy” as a groundbreaking nears for the Monroe Blocks project.

Some preservationists who want to save the severely deteriorated 106-year-old Albert Kahn-designed building, which sits at 118 Monroe in the middle of a nearly abandoned area of the downtown, are hoping minds change before construction begins this spring.

Conceptual drawings released by Bedrock propose to incorporate the façade of the National Theatre within the more than $800 million project. The project will include a 35-story office tower fronting Campus Martius and four residential buildings with some retail. It’s expected to transform a mostly vacant two-square-block area bounded by Monroe, Bates, Cadillac Square and Randolph — one of the last large chunks untouched by the city’s downtown revitalization.

Bedrock will break ground on the project in the first half of 2018 and it’s to take an estimated 30 months to complete.

The other piece of news is that while this is still planned for start construction soon, the "January/Early 2018" talk is now "First half of 2018."

What we do know now that we didn't know originally is that the last bit of financing for this project (from the Michigan Strategic Fund) goes before the board in March, but also that Bedrock has already started on the construction and site prep work for the Hudson Block tower and building. So, I'd be no more surprised to see this one start next month than I would be to see it starting construction in late March.



Can someone orient me in this rendering? Are they moving the facade down the block or is this where the theater is? The theater is on the second block (phase 2), but does this show it on the phase 1 block?

[The North One]

They're putting the arch over Farmer Street.

[seabee1526]

Originally Posted by The North One

They're putting the arch over Farmer Street.

Every city needs a landmark arch, the arche de Detroit. All we need now is a tower to regain the old saying that Detroit is the "Paris of the West"

[McBane]

Originally Posted by seabee1526

Every city needs a landmark arch, the arche de Detroit. All we need now is a tower to regain the old saying that Detroit is the "Paris of the West"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc5vN2XReWs

[seabee1526]

Originally Posted by McBane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc5vN2XReWs

lol, yeah maybe

[deja vu]

^ It has held on for this long, and I am definitely among those that wish the National would be saved.

[LMich]

It looks like the theater would prevent the interior flow of block 2.




Todd McInturf, The Detroit News

I guess it was possible to have designed around it, but it really doesn't awkwardly fill the middle of the block. And the entire focus of this plan are the interior pedestrian courtyards.

[Docta_Love]

It's sad either way losing another historic structure in a city that has already lost so much. But on the other hand the Monroe Block project is exactly what so many of us have been hoping and wishing for this site. I've always liked the cross cut with the view of the old Wayne County Building and the preserved facade acting as an entry arch framing makes the view of the old Wayne County Building from that angle into something that will prolly become one of the city's great landmarks.

The theater has been completely stripped on the inside as well so if it were to be saved the interior would have to be reproduced and not to mention the structure would seem out of place in the middle of the development and as was also mentioned would ruin the pedestrian flow.

All and all I think this is a good compromise and a win - win.