Flint development news

[robk1982]

The only thing missing from the articles about Genesys and downtown development is any mention about the new urgent care that was supposed to be built/opened downtown. They were supposed to announce the location in the fall, but I haven't heard anything about it.

[LMich]

Originally Posted by Hayward

It has everything to do with location and convenience. When I used to live in Saginaw, flying out of DTW was horribly inconvenient. Flying out of Flint was always easy. Quick trip down I-75, easy to park and that's it. Security was always quick.

That's really only a small part of it when you think about it. It wasn't until very recently (2002) that Bishop had more passengers than MBS, so it's not like the two markets had ever overlapped that much until recently. This is really a result of good long-range planning, marketing, and managemet by the local authority positioning Bishop in just the right way while the industry ramped up consolidation screwing over most smaller airports. I'm sure it's similar in other states, but there actually used to be a competitive field as far as the small airports were concerned here in Michigan. Now, you have Metro, Gerald Ford, Bishop, and then everything else.

I mean, there is no reason why Capital Region (Capital City) has had such a massive drop in passengers (657,000 in 2000 to 257,000 in 2010) besides it not effectively fighting for its life like the rest; hell, for the first time in memory, more people flew out of MBS and Capital City according to last year's statistics, that doesn't make sense. The 80-something-mile commute to Metro from here isn't exactly convenient, either, but obviously everyone is doing it; Lansing is pretty much totally dependent upon Metro, now, for its air travel despite being the state capitol. Lobbyist and lawmakers have for over the decade, now, been trying to get back a direct flight between DC and Lansing; this is the most basic of needs not being met. Cap Region just kind of gave up the local air war.

Here's a break down of passengers of the three major airports in 2000 and then 2010:

2000

Lansing: 656,703
Flint: 594,279
MSB: 556,486

2010:

Flint: 986,505
MSB: 262,069
Lansing: 257,350

That is simply stunning, if you ask me.

[hudkina]

Bishop is in a key location as it is within a 45 minute drive of Lansing, Saginaw, and Detroit's northern and western suburbs. There's got to be at least 2 million people within an hour of that airport.

[Rizzo]

MBS needs work..... It's sad compared to Bishop. What kind of Flight experience do you want?

[subterranean]

Originally Posted by hudkina

Bishop is in a key location as it is within a 45 minute drive of Lansing, Saginaw, and Detroit's northern and western suburbs. There's got to be at least 2 million people within an hour of that airport.

That's the key right there, for the most part. I know a ton of people who live in Oakland County who would much rather fly out of Bishop than DTW. It's just as fast to get there half the time, and 10 times more convenient once you get there. On top of that, AirTran has many direct flights out of Bishop for really cheap.

I never fly out of Lansing for one reason and one reason only. Cost. It's consistently $100-$200 more for a flight out of Lansing. Add to that that I'm practically guaranteed a connecting flight out of O'Hare or DTW, and there's no reason to fly out of Lansing when DTW is an hour away and Bishop is 45 minutes to 1 hour.

I think Bishop has done a great job building its nonstop flights and marketing to people in the northwest Detroit metro. These folks also have generally more disposable income than the rest of the Detroit region.

A friend of mine owns Green Cab. His bread and butter is of course drunken E.L. kids. But when he gets calls for a pickup at Lansing Airport, nine times out of ten its business people, international folks visiting the university, or government officials. It seems as though when someone else is fronting the bill for a traveler, they of course love the convenience of Lansing Airport. But price is a major deciding factor for us workaday folks looking to get away for leisure.

[robk1982]

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/inde...lint_stil.html

Years later, city of Flint still trying to create Smith Village subdivision
Published: Sunday, March 06, 2011, 4:28 PM Updated: Sunday, March 06, 2011, 4:28 PM
Kristin Longley | Flint Journal By Kristin Longley | Flint Journal

FLINT, Michigan — The failed Smith Village project started 13 years ago with good intentions and uplifting promises: luxury homes and a revitalized neighborhood in the heart of the city of Flint.

But it never happened, apart from a lonely row of six homes built just off North Saginaw Street.

Now, the city is trying for a do-over. Same good intentions and same promises, but hoping for a different outcome.

The “new” Smith Village is expected to be the only new subdivision built this year in all of Genesee County — not surprising given the recession and depressed housing market.

Using federal grant money, at least 83 new three- and four-bedroom homes are planned for the mostly vacant neighborhood just north of downtown Flint and across Saginaw Street from University Park Estates.

The question is: Will anyone buy them?

........

[Rizzo]

It was a horrible idea to begin with, and a terrible idea to resurrect. These suburbs in the city concepts don't work out. They look good on paper, but fail to live up to their promises in reality...and that's the thing...it failed and they are trying again?

This has been done in Detroit, just off Jefferson, but was a success due to the proximity of the riverfront. Additionally, the Jefferson corridor is suburban in nature and has viable retail and strong residential base to at least keep the area desirable. Smith village? The area is run-down and good intentions will become hood intentions. The fact is location rules supreme when it comes to building new residential development. They should be focusing on building high density residential within the downtown core for new young residents and even students, not way down the street where there are boarded up buildings and empty lots.

The niche market for these homes is too small. Who is interested? The folks with some money who wish they could live in the suburbs, but love the city too damn much. So yeah...six buyers basically.

[LMich]

Anyone have any photos of Smith Village? It and University Park Estates sounds like what they've tried to do with East Village here right outside of downtown Lansing, except East Village is a mix of multi-family condo buildings and detached condos.

[hudkina]

The problem is that they are using the lowest-quality suburban designs. If they are looking to attract people interested in a single-family urban neighborhood, then they need to build smaller homes with historic details and higher quality materials. That means no front-loading garages, no large lots that need a lot of maintenance, no cheap blue-gray vinyl siding, and no big, empty white rooms. There's plenty of that crap out in the suburbs with lower taxes and much better schools...

[robk1982]

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/inde...grant_mon.html

Next wave of federal funding in Flint to focus on Hurley neighborhood
ublished: Saturday, February 26, 2011, 8:00 PM Updated: Monday, February 28, 2011, 5:17 PM
By Kristin Longley | Flint Journal

FLINT, Michigan — One out of every three houses sits vacant and lifeless in the Hurley hospital neighborhood — recently dubbed one of the emptiest in the entire country.

Now, the city and Hurley Medical Center are hoping to use Flint’s third wave of federal grant dollars to transform this neighborhood into a vibrant living space.

The goal is to build a community where employees can live and walk to work and residents can have neighbors — instead of vacant, blighted houses.

“There’s only three of us,” Flint resident Roger Husocki said of the occupied homes on Stone Street near Hurley. “I always have to chase out the drunks and drug users.”

......

[robk1982]

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/inde.../post_160.html

Back to life: Kettering University leaders revisit plans to turn old General Motors site into a 'technology park'
Published: Friday, February 04, 2011, 9:12 AM Updated: Friday, February 04, 2011, 10:14 AM
Beata Mostafavi | Flint Journal By Beata Mostafavi | Flint Journal

FLINT, Michigan — Inside a glass-walled building in a west-side neighborhood, two companies are doing research they believe could help change Flint.

The first two tenants in Kettering University’s $3.4 million Innovation Center bring hope to a bigger vision for the barren block of land off Chevrolet Avenue.

The dream goes something like this: a mecca for inventors, scientists and entrepreneurs testing ideas in new laboratories. Four, five, even six more buildings on what are now vacant lots.

Possibly, a new place for students to live. Or a coffee shop that draws people from the Flint River Trail for smoothies and ice cream. Or a retail center.

It would be a bustling place for companies of a future Flint that would bring a former General Motors site back to life.

They would call it the Kettering Technology Park.

“Ten years ago, we didn’t think it was a real possibility on campus,” said Susan Bolt, Kettering’s vice president for administration and finance, looking over the 2007 master plan for the property, which took years to acquire from GM.

“I envision an economic engine that allows for the transfer of knowledge.”

The Innovation Center marks the first big step of the envisioned tech corridor.

The opening of the building, a nearly six-year-old concept that evolved several times and included false starts, has some campus dreamers giddy about what’s next — even if it’s still years away.

Kettering leaders anticipate the 9,200-square-foot Innovation Center will be full by the end of the year. It still has room for two to four new tenants.

Its first two companies already have put the campus in the spotlight. Swedish Biogas International, the company that has pledged to produce a renewable alternative fuel at a biogas plant in the city, has made the building its headquarters.

......

[robk1982]

Here's a link to the Smith Village Redevelopment Plan:

http://www.metro-community.org/attac...mbined-web.pdf



For a visual aid as to all of the proposed development plans that are going on outside of downtown (sorry about the white space):

1) Smith Village Redevelopment
2) Hurley Medical Center neighborhood (very rough outline)
3) Kettering University (Innovation Center) and ongoing work on turning Chevy-In-The-Hole site into a park
4) Michigan School for the Deaf development into joint campus with Powers Catholic

[uaarkson]

So dumb. I guess it's better than nothing, though.

[Rizzo]

3) Kettering University (Innovation Center) and ongoing work on turning Chevy-In-The-Hole site into a park

Hm, thought there was much grander plans.

[robk1982]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Hm, thought there was much grander plans.

Not anymore. Calling it a "park" might be a bit of a stretch, too.

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/inde...o_take_ow.html

[LMich]

Originally Posted by robk1982

Not anymore. Calling it a "park" might be a bit of a stretch, too.

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/inde...o_take_ow.html

Yeah, no kidding:

...and eventually transform it into a low-maintenance green space...

Basically, that's codeword for that they'll probably tear up the concrete, give it back to nature, and maybe send out a person or two to mow it every few months. lol It's really kind of what struggling cities have been reduced to, lately. If the cities don't vigilantly take care of these kind of things, all they end up as are illegal dumping grounds for tires, bricks, bodies...

Nobody wants to pay for upkeeping anything, anymore.

[LMich]

Was messing around trying to find 2010 Census tract information for Michigan cities, lately. Something I found for Flint is that while like most Michigan cities its population is falling, also like most Michigan cities, the tract that covers downtown proper (and most of Carriage Town) grew, as well as the tract immediately east of downtown across the 475, and the tract directly to the north, east of Saginaw and west of the river.

The downtown tract grew 7.3% to reach a population of 2,784. The tract that covers the Cultural Center grew 3.8% to reach a population of 2,034. The tract immediately north of downtown and the east of Saginaw grew 30.7% to reach a population of 1,562. This is due almost exclusively to the construction of University Park Estates. The tract that covers Smith Village saw a 37% drop in its population, but the Smith Village tract also includes the neighborhood on the other side of MLK and east of Hurley Hospital.

All-in-all, some nice trends going on for the central city over the decade.

[uaarkson]

I was in downtown last night around 10:30 and was pleasantly surprised. There were tons of people walking up and down Saginaw, and every restaurant was packed full, including outdoor seating. Even that new wine club was packed. There was a band set up on the corner playing music, and some folks set up some spotlights to light the facade of the Genesee Towers in multiple colors. Pretty cool.

Was there some sort of event being held, or was it just a hoppin' Friday night in Flint town?

[subterranean]

Great to hear. I can't comment on if this is a normal Friday in Flint or not, but when I was there a few weeks ago the place was bustling on a weekday and the core/surrounding areas were looking pretty damn good. The Durant turned out great.

[Rizzo]

My visits to Flint a very infrequent now, but every time I come through it always seems to be busy.