DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[skyfan]

Originally Posted by mind field

Praying for some sexy design, and not value engineered garbage.

Amen, I want that for every project , but that intersection definitely deserves some nice.


Dan might be exaggerating a bit, but 2015 was a very good year for Gilbert and Co.

Gilbert: Downtown running low on room for new arrivals

Businessman Dan Gilbert said Wednesday that so many residents and businesses have been moving downtown that the city's central business district may be running out of room.

In an upbeat summary of 2015 progress downtown, Gilbert, founder and chairman of Quicken Loans who with his partners owns or controls more than 80 properties downtown, said his Bedrock Real Estate Services signed 70 new tenants to downtown leases in 2015 after completing 53 new leases in 2014.

“The demand to be downtown is very strong, and we plan to continue investing and creating new opportunities so others can join us and participate in the fascinating story of Detroit," Gilbert said in a statement released by his office. "Soon, the biggest challenge will be lack of adequate supply for the anticipated demand in the marketplace.”

Bedrock's 2015 leasing activity filled up nearly 1.3 million square feet of retail and office space, after filling 1.1 million square feet in 2014.

Among Bedrock's biggest deals last year: Ally Financial agreed to occupy 13 floors with 321,000 square feet of office space and bring 1,500 employees to the newly named Ally Detroit Center, the former One Detroit Center. Among other new tenants either moving in or committing to leases in 2015 were Nike, which plans to open its downtown store on Woodward Avenue in the spring, the House of Pure Vin wine shop, the organic juice store Drought, and the Townhouse restaurant, among many others.

http://www.freep.com/story/money/bus...roit/78371892/

Also Amtrak service will be little better this year.

Detroit connection to speed passenger services




Amtrak’s Wolverine passenger trains between Chicago and Detroit have begun using a new curve at West Detroit Junction, which has been built in conjunction with the upgrading and double-tracking of the former NS route now owned by Michigan Department of Transportation.

Completed in late December, the US$15·8m curve was partially funded by a US$7·9m grant from the Federal Railroad Administration approved in 2012. Located around 3 km south of Amtrak’s Woodward Avenue station, the single-track curve connects the former NS (ex-Conrail) line from Ann Arbor and Chicago with the CN route to Pontiac, which serves the Amtrak station.

The new connection enables passenger trains to bypass the congested area around the triangular Bay City Junction at the Scotten Interlocking further east. The curve is carried over Junction Avenue on a new bridge built as part of the project.

As well as improving the performance of Amtrak services, the new connection is expected to facilitate the introduction of MDoT’s planned commuter rail service between Detroit, Dearborn and Ann Arbor.

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/i...-services.html