Flint development news

[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.

[Rizzo]

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

[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...

[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?

[robk1982]

Things were pretty "hoppin'" last summer too. Nearly every time I ventured down there, day or night, the restaurants were packed and the outdoor seating was full. From what I've heard, Cork on Saginaw (the new wine bar) is decent.


I drove through downtown today and noticed a new ice cream/dessert place opened up where Mike's Triple Grill used to be. Churchill's also got a new marquee-thing that I noticed immediately. I'll try and grab a few pics this week.

[robk1982]

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

Landmark Flint building to be turned into groundbreaking recovery center
Published: Saturday, June 04, 2011, 10:00 AM
Khalil AlHajal | The Flint Journal By Khalil AlHajal | The Flint Journal


FLINT, Michigan — Three major area nonprofits have teamed up to renovate and revive a landmark building, transforming it into a one-stop treatment center for combating homelessness, mental illness and substance abuse.

The multi-million-dollar project at the old St. Michael’s/Flint Schools of Choice building at 517 E. Fifth Avenue is spearheaded by Genesee County Community Mental Health, Resource Genesee and Catholic Charities.

Funding for the project, called Center of Hope, isn’t yet in place, but architectural plans have been drawn up and the plan is moving forward, with a tentative date of early 2012 to start construction, said Mary Stevenson, director of development at Catholic Charities.

.......

For reference, this is 3 blocks directly north of the Durant.

[Rizzo]

If that's the old gothic style brick school I'm thinking of, it's an absolutely gorgeous building. Way to go Flint!

[robk1982]

It is that building.

[subterranean]

Originally Posted by robk1982

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



For reference, this is 3 blocks directly north of the Durant.

This is right on the corner of the New Smith Village project--80+ newly constructed suburban style homes right in the heart of the city. I can't believe the city is spending its NSP dollars in that way. And I'm sure they'll love this recovery center development and its proximity to these homes given the demographic they're trying to attract there. Just disgusting. See for yourself (PDF quick view in Google docs):

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=...eaeSxlXA&pli=1

[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.

[robk1982]

St. Michael's School