DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[colemonkee]

The UMCI building is awesome. What a great groundbreaking to cap the year off with!

[isoamazing]

Originally Posted by DetroitMan

Music Hall expansion plan clears Historic District Commission


https://www.crainsdetroit.com/arts-cultu...ion-gets-historic-district-commission-ok

That doesn't look as nice as I remember. Maybe it's just missing the color that gave it life. Certainly don't like the new roof.

[gratiotfaced]

UMCI is such a huge win for the city. The cutting-edge grad programs, the workforce training/certificates, the startup incubator.. this could really be a catalyst for downtown and the region overall. Detroit needs more non-auto developments like this to stay competitive in today's economy.

The Music Hall is exciting, but why was the flat roof design from the September rendering scrapped? I don't hate the new look, but it's kind of an odd thing for the historic commission to force a change on. Also, what's the deal with these important meetings always getting cancelled and delayed for a month or two at a time? Just approve the thing!

[DetroitMan]

Kresge grant aims to explore neighborhood restoration in contentious I-375 redevelopment

The Kresge Foundation is stepping into a controversial plan to bring Interstate 375 in Detroit up to grade with grants aimed at the spirit of restoring neighborhoods that the expressway's construction destroyed decades ago.
The foundation's aim is to ensure the project goes beyond engineering and includes a reparative approach, incorporating some type of reparations for the harm done to Black residents and businesses cleared to make way for the freeway. The Kresge Foundation has made a $1.85 million planning grant to the Downtown Detroit Partnership that will support further engagement of residents and businesses and create a holistic vision for the project.

It’s the first of several grants Kresge plans to make to the effort and comes amid community pushback on the early design proposed to convert the stretch of below-grade highway in downtown Detroit to a street-level boulevard. “History has shown us time and time again that the investment goals of major infrastructure projects more often prioritize traffic flows, cost and speed of completion over residents, pedestrians and environmentally sustainable built environment concerns,” said Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing director, Detroit program for the foundation.

“Detroit now has one shot to begin to reverse the decimation caused by the original I-375 urban renewal project. Getting it right means that affected residents and businesses are fully engaged in planning and feel that their concerns have been considered in MDOT’s final engineering plans."

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/nonprofits...estoring-black-bottom-amid-i-375-rebuild

[isoamazing]

Hotel Water Square

https://detroitmi.gov/departments/planni...ngoing-cbo-engagement/hotel-water-square

[DetroitSky]

Hotel Water Square posts have been moved to its new designated thread. Please continue discussion there.

[DetroitMan]

5 new Detroit development projects are moving forward with 'gap financing'

Detroit development officials announced Wednesday that five housing and commercial projects in the city are moving forward, thanks to $14.5 million in recently awarded state grant funds.

The funding was awarded last fall by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and will provide useful "gap financing" for the projects' developers, helping to fill the various budget holes that often pop up from rising construction and financing costs and lead to delays.

“These funds will help to catalyze over $250 million in investment in the city of Detroit,” said Kenyetta Hairston-Bridges, chief operating officer and executive vice president of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., which is distributing the state funds. The funding is ultimately from the MEDC's Revitalization and Placemaking 2.0 program, which offers grants of up to $5 million per project for real estate development and rehabilitation.

“It is amazing what $15 million can get you,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said at the announcement event, which was held inside the former Jefferson Intermediate School, 950 Selden, which is being redeveloped into commercial space.
Broadway Lofts
A $4.275 million grant will go to redevelopment of three empty storefronts on Broadway Street in downtown — 1322, 1326 and 1332 Broadway — into a new nine-story building with 80 residential units and ground-floor retail.

The project, headed by developer Roger Basmajian, will incorporate the facades of two of the old buildings while razing a third (1332 Broadway) that is too damaged to save. The project will replace the interiors of all three buildings with new construction, creating a new nine-story building. A full 20% of the units will be set aside as below-market rents. Construction is expected to begin in late March or early April.

Fisher 21 Lofts

The industrial-to-residential conversion of the long-abandoned Fisher Body Plant No. 21 will receive a $4.75 million grant. The project, led by developers Greg Jackson and Richard Hosey, was announced in 2021 and calls for converting the 600,000-square-foot building into 433 apartments, plus retail space and coworking space. At least 20% of the units would be below-market. Hosey said Wednesday that they hope to begin the abatement and interior demolition phase of the project in the coming days or weeks.

"The demo and abatement we’re actually doing out of our pockets," he said. "The total financing package is all but together. There are some final term sheets, but we are 99% there.”

The Arthur Murray Building

A $14.9 million project to convert the first franchise location of the Arthur Murray Dance Studio, 16621-16653 E. Warren Ave., will receive $2.13 million. Plans call for 32 apartments plus ground-floor retail space.

Jefferson School

A $44.4 million project to redevelop the former Jefferson School, 938 Selden St. in Midtown, into multi-tenant office and coworking space received a $1.425 million grant. The rehab was started several years ago by an out-of-state development firm known as Q Factor, but missed its once-anticipated summer 2022 opening as the "INDUSTRY Detroit" building. Details on whether the firm is still involved weren't immediately available Wednesday.

Officials said a portion of the rehabbed school building is expected to be ready for its first tenants by year's end. Future occupants would include the nonprofit foundation Invest Detroit and the VVK public relations firm. Overall, 20% of the building would be leased at below-market rents to emerging Detroiter-owned businesses.

The Deco
The redevelopment of a long-vacant two story commercial building at 16703 E. Warren will receive a $2 million grant. The $4 million project is led by developers Brandon Hodges and Damon Dickerson and will result in six new apartments and a ground-floor restaurant space — to be occupied by La Jalisciense Taqueria.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/busine...ment-projects-gap-financing/72173567007/

[Velvet_Highground]

Solid projects all around. Broadway Lofts as pictured is tasteful it’s a good location for such a development. The Jefferson School redevelopment is a long time coming again its the right project for the area which has majority pretty bland residential. Getting Fisher 21 going is a balm to my soul after seeing the Packard Plant development fail and the building crumble.

Personally I’m glad to see the redevelopments on Warren Ave Morningside, East English Village & Cornerstone Village is a district that has the potential to bridge the gap between The Pointes and Detroit. The past few years have seen a significant amount of stability return to the area after an exodus of middle class families during the early to mid part of the last decade.

[gratiotfaced]

Between The Exchange (165), the Harvard Square redevelopment (34), and the Broadway Lofts (80), we're looking at almost 300 new housing units coming online within a block and a half. Throw in the new boutique hotel on Grand River and it'll be a pretty vibrant strip, hopefully with full retail occupancy soon.

I'm not sure I believe the Fisher Body 21 plan is "99%" funded, but I really hope that's the case. I guess we'll see if they break ground in the coming weeks. That project seems like such a long shot, but it also makes some sense considering how close it will be to the new HFH/MSU campus in Tech Town. I hope they can make it happen soon.

It's exciting to see EEV gaining some steam. That corridor has the potential to be the next Livernois with a little more infill and retail.

[DetroitSky]

Latest upscale Detroit housing development features resort-like pool deck

Boasting an elaborate lounge and a resort-like swimming pool deck, Detroit's newest upscale and amenity-filled housing development is now officially open.

The Perennial Corktown, 1611 Michigan Ave., directly across from the former site of Tiger Stadium and not far from Ford's nearly finished Michigan Central Station rehab, is a newly constructed seven-story, 188-unit apartment building along with seven new three-story town homes.

The asking rents are at the high end of the market, starting at $1,650 per month for studio units, about $2,000 for one bedrooms and the mid-$3,000s for two bedrooms with two baths. However, 10% of the apartments are set aside at significantly below-market rates for those with qualifying incomes.

This same article has an update on Red Arrow Lofts:

The development team last month began interior demolition work on a separate but nearby project, called Red Arrow Lofts, which will convert the former Downtown Self-Storage Co. building at 1551 Church St. into a 28-unit apartment building. The rehab is expected to be complete by January 2025.

The name honors the building's history as a former Red Arrow soda factory.

[DetroitSky]

Gilbert finally completes new Wayne Co. jail, courthouse

Following months of delays, Dan Gilbert's organization has met a key milestone for finishing Wayne County's new $616 million jail and courthouse complex and could hand it over to the county in less than two weeks.

County Commissioner Glenn Anderson said Thursday that Gilbert's real estate firm, Bedrock, finally achieved "substantial completion" of the Wayne County Criminal Justice Center at the end of December, meaning that at least 98% of the construction work was accomplished.

The next step is the official handover of the finished complex, which the county expects to happen by the end of the month.

[DetroitMan]

Lots of big news on the EV front for the City of Detroit...
Fortescue CEO: Detroit is ‘best place’ for new $210M EV battery factory, 600 jobs

A global mining and green energy company is looking to breathe new life into a vacant industrial building in Detroit with plans to invest up to $210 million and create up to 600 new jobs.

Fortescue WAE received approval of $12.7 million in state incentives Tuesday to support an electric vehicle battery systems factory in the city’s Milwaukee Junction district, next to the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum marking the birthplace of Ford Motor Co.’s Model T. CEO Judith Judson told Crain’s that plugging into the historical epicenter of automotive made sense for the company’s first U.S. plant.

“We see so much opportunity in the U.S., and when we look at Michigan specifically, it really comes down to it’s an extremely attractive place to manufacture, there’s a highly skilled workforce both in manufacturing and in engineering,” said Judson, who earned her mechanical engineering degree from Kettering University in Flint before taking a co-op role with General Motors Co.

“I understand and really know the value Michigan has for producing and supplying to the automotive industry.”

Fortescue, based near London since its acquisition of WAE in 2022, has ambitions to get the battery factory off the ground quickly. It aims to start construction at the brownfield site this year with the goal of going into production mid-next year with the first battery assembly line, according to a Michigan Economic Development Corp. briefing memo.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/manufacturing/fortescue-detroit-best-place-210m-ev-battery-plant


German EV charging company plans $14.4M North American HQ in Corktown

Yet another electric vehicle charging company is targeting Southeast Michigan for operations.

German EV charging company EcoG GMBH plans to invest $14.4 million and create a North American headquarters in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood, adjacent to Ford Motor Co.'s roughly $800 million Michigan Central project, according to a briefing memo from the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

EcoG would be headquartered in the renovated Book Depository building, now called Newlab. The Michigan Strategic Fund board on Tuesday approved a $1.5 million Michigan Business Development Program grant as part of the capital stack to make the EcoG development economically viable, according to a memo from the MEDC to the MSF board. The memo says the company also considered facilities in Georgia and Ohio for its investment.

“This project aligns with the MEDC’s strategic focus area of supporting a business in the target industry of mobility and builds on the state's work to position itself as the global leader in the future of mobility and vehicle electrification,” according to the memo. “The proposed project will also impact the local region with high wages from an emerging EV technology provider.”

The planned project would result in up to 45 new jobs paying $2,777 per week plus benefits, according to the memo. Founded in 2017 in Munich, Germany, EcoG has 42 employees and a 15% market share in the European Union EV charging market.

EcoG has partnerships with about 30 car manufacturing companies, including each of the Big 3 automakers headquartered in metro Detroit, according to the memo. The company raised nearly $6.3 million in a Series A venture capital funding in late 2022, according to Pitchbook, a data provider for the startup and venture capital sector.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/manufactur...y-ecog-plans-north-american-base-detroit

[Velvet_Highground]

Awesome

[DetroitSky]

New sports dome breaks ground in Chandler Park

The east side's Chandler Park is getting a new $14 million amenity for the community. Earlier this week, the city broke ground on a new sports dome, set to open next year.

The 130,000-square-foot fieldhouse is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act. The new dome will allow the community to participate in sports activities all year. The city worked with the community to develop plans for the new facility. According to a news release from the city, it will include:

Multi-use court for basketball, volleyball, and pickleball
Football field and track for various sports, including our popular Soccer in the D programming
Multi-purpose rooms for community activities
Administrative spaces onsite to provide efficient management
Shower rooms and inclusive bathrooms for residents
200+ space parking lot with bio-swales for sustainable stormwater management

[Velvet_Highground]

The exorcism has been satisfying the warm reception from across America has been warm and fuzzy. What more can I say?

Go!

https://www.mlive.com/lions/2024/01/maje...rt-for-detroit-lions.html?outputType=amp

$50 million in one day: Detroit Lions’s ‘Taylor Swift’ effect on the city’s economy
Fueled by nostalgia, lifelong Lions fans have given Detroit’s economy an unprecedented boost as the once underdog team becomes America’s new favorite.


Roop Raj -https://twitter.com/rooprajfox2/status/1746765635256758379



Detroit Lions NFL Divisional Playoff game estimated to net city $50 million in economic impacts
Detroit was named the best city for visiting NFL fans because of its 129 bars and 25+ sports bars within a one-mile radius.

WZZM13
January 17th 2024

Anderson Economic Group, LLC (AEG), based out of East Lansing, estimates that the game between the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will net the city over $50 million in economic impacts.

The consulting firm estimates that expenditures by people attending the game will have a direct economic impact of $31,651,281. AEG also believes there will be an additional indirect impact of $20,573,333.

The combined total comes in at $52,225,614 in estimated economic impacts to the city from Sunday's upcoming game.

“Showcasing Detroit in a positive light on national television will lead to further indirect community and economic benefits on top of the direct benefits related to the second playoff game,” said Tyler Theile, vice president and director of public policy and economic analysis at AEG. “Not only will Ford Field be nearly sold out, but we’re expecting increased consumption at hotels, restaurants, retail stores and bars, from metro Detroit residents and people traveling in for the game as well, and those indirect benefits will extend far past Sunday’s game.”

[DetroitSky]

Walk Down the Stairs of the Book Tower and Find Upscale Japanese

Downtown Detroit has welcomed its newest Japanese dining experience within the historic Book Tower with the opening this month of Hiroki-San and Sakazuki. As of January 11, both establishments began welcoming their first guests.

Conceptualized and operated by Philly-based Method Co., Hiroki-San is inspired by the original, Eater Award finalist restaurant, Hiroki. Set in the lower level of Book Tower, the 4,100-square-foot space has been renovated to incorporate the Book Tower’s original plaster walls with a modern aesthetic in neutral earth tones and moody lighting. There’s seating for up to 108 guests — including seating for up to nine at the sushi counter, 12 at the chef’s counter, and a 16-seat private dining room. As for the food, the menu leans in on shareable plates made with ingredients imported directly from Japan each week. Diners can expect items like robatayaki and yakitori skewers grilled using Binchotan charcoal, three regional varieties of wagyu, noodles, and sushi. To drink, there’s an emphasis on sake, as well as cocktails like the Bamboo Cutter made with umeshu, chilled jasmine tea, and peach.

[DetroitMan]

Small residential project proposed in Midtown as a way to hide parking lot

A vacant parcel in Midtown could become a stone “gatehouse” apartment building with parking on-site to help accommodate the booming restaurant scene in the Detroit neighborhood.

An affiliate of Detroit-based real estate developer Robert Slattery has applied to the city’s Historic District Commission, seeking to build a four-unit multi-family project within a gatehouse at 477 W. Alexandrine St. between Cass and Second avenues.
The proposed project’s design goal is “to provide a modern interpretation of a stone gate house that would obscure the view of” a 19-space parking lot in the rear part of the parcel, according to a description of the development submitted to the city.

Slattery said the main objective with the plan is to provide some relief for the parking crunch in the area as it continues to attract more residents and businesses, particularly increasingly popular restaurants, including Mad Nice and the soon-to-open Vecino.

The developer said he’s already obtained bank financing for the planned project of roughly $900,000. He hopes to have the parking component complete by the summer and the building done by next spring.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/midtown-residential-project-would-hide-parking-lot

[Velvet_Highground]

Novel and tasteful way to hide parking while adding positive value to the neighborhood along with new residences.

[DetroitSky]

Some great news for Hart Plaza:

Hart Plaza fountain restoration funding approved by city

The Dodge Fountain in Hart Plaza is long overdue for a restoration, and it will be ready soon. The City Council approved $5.8 million in American Rescue Plan Funds for the project this week, as reported by the Detroit News (paywalled).

The fountain, designed by Isamu Noguchi, was completed in 1976. But it hasn't worked a lot in that time. Hart Plaza hosts numerous festivals through the summer, and many visitors don't even realize the circular metal structure is a fountain.

Work started on the project this fall. It involves disassembling the fountain and fixing many internal mechanisms, lighting, and plumbing.

[DetroitSky]

Goldman Sachs returns to Detroit, opens bank's 2nd-largest Midwest wealth office

After 33 years, Goldman Sachs is returning to Detroit.
The investment bank and financial management firm closed its last Detroit office in 1990. The new office, in Bedrock Detroit's 1001 Woodward building downtown, opened in September and marks the firm’s first Midwest office opening for the investment banking giant this century. Headquartered in New York, Goldman Sachs has more than 45,000 employees and 80 offices globally. The new Detroit office is home to 40 employees in the leased space. The firm has plans to have up to 50 wealth employees in the near term. Detroit is the firm's second-largest wealth office in the Midwest behind Chicago.