DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[deja vu]

Hamilton Anderson Associates posted a few photos of the newly remodeled Wayne State University School of Social Work. It is housed in a pretty neat mid-century modern building at 5447 Woodward -










Source: LinkedIn | Hamilton Anderson Associates

[DetroitSky]

Gallery: Nothing Is Square About Detroit's New Apartments At 'The Caterpillar'

Calling this residential design unusual is like describing the president as eccentric -- true, but too mild.

An imaginative project nearing completion not far from downtown is named The Caterpillar, and the overhead view above shows why.

That slinky hull is 192 feet long and 46 feet wide. Inside will be six apartments and two live-work spaces created by locally based Prince Concepts, which in 2107 opened the sleek True North development less than two blocks away -- also in the style of military Quonset huts.

It describes the new spread in Core City, on 16th Street between West Forest Avenue and Buchanan Street, as "inspired space," "the cathedral" and "sculpture." Open floors plans have a central island and no enclosed bedrooms.

Detroit Sells $80M in Bonds to Add and Enhance Parks, Trails, Culture, and More

The city of Detroit has announced it sold $80 million in bonds to fund parks, recreation, cultural centers, and public safety capital improvements.

The projects include updates to more than 25 city parks, phase one of the Joe Louis Greenway, repairs to firehouses, police precincts, and recreation centers, improvements to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Detroit Historical Museum, and construction of an expanded animal control facility.

MGM Grand Detroit to Open D.PRIME Steakhouse on Oct. 30

MGM Grand Detroit today announced it will debut a new original steakhouse and lounge called D.PRIME, which will replace Wolfgang Puck Steak.

The new steakhouse, set to open on Oct. 30, will be led by Executive Chef Derek Mattison. The menu will feature modern twists on flame-grilled steaks and seafood and contemporary signature cocktails.

Lowell on DetroitYes recently posted some update photos of various projects:




City Club Apartments CBD Detroit


City Club Apartments and Park Avenue Building to the right




Book Tower


SoMA Parking Garage. The corner lot will be home to the AC Hotel.

[ShadowSoarer]

Here are some updates on the tcf HQ

This is from 10/24:


This is from 10/31:

[davidberko]

So good to see the TCF tower rise. Pretty soon hudsons will too! Love the book tower. Possibly my favorite building in Detroit

[deja vu]

Thanks for sharing those TCF tower photos. It's moving along faster than I thought. FYI, there is a dedicated thread for this project. And in the future, can you downsize those images a little? They are huge and hard to view on a normal-sized monitor.

Here's an exterior & interior view of the new William Clay Ford Center for Athletic Medicine, posted via Instagram by Hobbs + Black Architects -

[deja vu]

U of D Mercy will break ground on its new Student Union Addition & Renovation later this month. These renderings posted by Hamilton Anderson via LinkedIn.

[Blocky858]

"Luxury apartments planned for Detroit's new 'Paradise Valley' district"

https://amp.freep.com/amp/6186730002

Plans are moving forward to build an eight-story apartment building in a new downtown Detroit district that pays homage to the city's former Paradise Valley district of Black-owned businesses.

[DetroitSky]

Originally Posted by Blocky858

"Luxury apartments planned for Detroit's new 'Paradise Valley' district"

https://amp.freep.com/amp/6186730002

I like this new larger design a lot more than the original design. Looks great.



Here's the 2016 design:


Source

I wonder if the other new builds/renovation are still planned for the Paradise Valley project? We haven't heard anything in awhile.

UAW-GM riverfront training center sold, to be renamed 'The Icon'

After getting caught up in a federal investigation into union corruption, the training center along the Detroit riverfront jointly owned by General Motors Co. and the United Auto Workers has been sold to two developers and will be renamed "The Icon."

The sale of the 420,000-square-foot building on 18 acres at 200 Walker to a joint venture between Auburn Hills-based Moceri Cos. and Detroit-based 400 Monroe Associates closed last week, partner Dominic Moceri said. The developers expect to lease the building formerly housing the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources to a major business, government agency or university.

"It’s not just a building; it's a campus," Moceri said. "The setting is unmatched in the entire Midwest with an international location on the Detroit riverfront that has a walkway from Belle Isle to the TCF Center, and the setting is fit to fit the staff of whether it's a Fortune 50 company, an educational community or a government operations. The setting is second to none."

Sale of former state fairgrounds can proceed after appeals court lifts restraining order

The sale of the former state fairgrounds in Detroit can proceed after a temporary restraining order on the sale was lifted Wednesday.

The proposed deal, which would bring an Amazon distribution center to the site, was announced in August, and a battle over the 142-acre property on the north side ensued between the State Fairgrounds Development Coalition, a group that has been long involved with the land, and the City of Detroit.

Last week, a temporary restraining order was issued for the sale of the land after the Sugar Law Center, on behalf of the State Fairgrounds Development Coalition, filed a lawsuit that said the city violated the law.

A judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals overturned that decision Wednesday morning.

Cleanup work set to begin on next phase of the Joe Louis Greenway on city’s west side

Two different paths, one for bicycles and joggers with a second for those that want to enjoy the Joe Louis Greenway at a more leisurely pace.

Landscaping designed with a more “natural” feel that includes native plants that attract birds and bees.

Charging stations for personal devices, bicycle repair stations, and barbecue grills and seating areas.

These are but a few of the things people want to see in the next stretch of the Joe Louis Greenway, the planned 27.5-mile-long bicycle and pedestrian pathway that loops through parts of Detroit and Dearborn. The findings were gathered from a survey at a public engagement session in August.

A second public engagement session was held virtually Thursday, Oct. 29, allowing the public the chance to get a sneak peek of the next planned phase of the Joe Louis Greenway. Survey results from the first such meeting were revealed and more survey questions were posed.

Cleanup efforts are set to begin this month for a stretch of overgrown rail corridor once owned by Conrail and now owned by the city. Cleanup crews working into the cold months will better position construction crews that are scheduled to begin work in Spring 2021, said Jeff Klein, the city’s deputy chief of landscape architecture.

Crain's recently ran an article on a new Islandview development called Kercheval South. I can't read the article because I'm not a subscriber, but it can be found here.

[The North One]

Can't figure out if the bottom two floors above the retail is parking or not. Searched the city commission meeting and there was no mention of it.

[DetroitSky]

Originally Posted by The North One

Can't figure out if the bottom two floors above the retail is parking or not. Searched the city commission meeting and there was no mention of it.

I know the original proposal contained a few levels of parking so I wouldn't doubt it. Unless the developers have purchased a nearby lot or something like what the developers of The Exchange have done.

[DetroitSky]

Drove by yesterday and it looks like Brush 8 is about to break ground.





Renderings from their website.

Edit: it broke ground today, 11/10

[skyfan]

Glad to see Paradise Valley project back I thought it was dead until I saw it on the planning commision agenda for a rezoning. Speaking rezoning one that could be really transformational is coming to area around that Eastern Market. Especially changing the industrial zoning along the Dequindre Cut to allow for mixed use development could bring some interesting projects.

https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitm...MP-FINAL_1.pdf

https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitm...20Rezoning.pdf

[DetroitSky]

Detroit pitches plan to seek federal grant for affordable housing in Corktown

Detroit — The city of Detroit is pitching a multi-phase plan to bring an influx of new affordable and infill housing units, green space and other amenities to its Corktown neighborhood.

The vision was crafted by Detroit's Housing and Revitalization Department as part of a plan to compete for $30 million in federal grant funding. It will require Detroit City Council's approval on a series of land transfers to reinvigorate distressed properties and vacant land in the community.

The proposal's three projects:

The plan calls for the razing and rebuilding of the Clement Kern Gardens, a community of 87 affordable town-home-style units.

The effort, the city noted, would begin no sooner than 2022 and would provide all current residents of the Kern with an option to stay in the rebuilt complex or, if they choose, priority to relocate to another Corktown property.

The project also calls for the addition of infill housing on 143 vacant lots in North Corktown controlled by the city but spread across 14.6 acres. The concept also would include a new neighborhood service hub and outdoor recreation site to be built upon the site of the former Owen Academy, which shuttered in 2012.

The third component of the overall plan also includes a previously approved multi-phase development on the left field of the former Tiger Stadium site.

The first phase, on a 3.7-acre site along the Fisher Service Drive and Cochrane Street, would call for a $15 million, 60-unit apartment building with 48 units of affordable housing ranging from 30% to 80% of the area median income.

Owners of Filthy Americans brand opening arts and culture space, aim to inspire a new generation

Filthy Americans Arts & Cultural Preservation Center will open on Nov. 18 at 1313 Holden St. across from the Lincoln Street Art Park and Recycle Here! Owners, business partners, and lifelong Detroiters Rockwell and William “BJ” Smith are veterans in the city’s underground hip hop and techno music scenes looking to inspire the next generation.

[greatlakes]

These renderings are from the City Club Midtown Detroit webpage. I have not seen these renderings before. I apologize if the images don't show up properly, I'm new here and trying to learn how to post.

[Thirteen Mile]

It’s good to see a sizable project like city club midtown planned for the east side of Woodward not only as a catalyst for the continued redevelopment of Brush Park but also adding some balance to the “fox row” of the westside.

This is very exciting proposal knitting in Richard Hubbard, Woodbridge & Downtown with the Corktown not to mention building a strong central foundation for North Corktown.

By the way if anyone knows how to resize images can you send me a message or post it?

Crain’s Detroit Business
Kirk Pinho
November 11, 2020



Ford Motor Co. is being wrangled into the city of Detroit's application for a $30 million federal grant for at least 750 new mixed-income housing units in and around the Corktown neighborhood.

The Dearborn-based automaker — which did not respond to requests for comment — is gearing up to transfer some of the parcels an affiliate, 20th Street Properties LLC, owns in the neighborhood west of downtown to Boston-based The Community Builders Inc. so the developer can build about 150 residential units on them, according to Detroit City Council briefing memorandums.

A city spokesperson said there were 26 parcels involved in the transfer for property west of Cochrane Street bounded by the I-75 service drive and Rosa Parks Boulevard but they did not know the total acreage.

Those 150 units would be part of a broader 750-unit, $180 million-plus vision across seven phases over several years for the area, said Julie Schneider, deputy director of Detroit's Housing and Revitalization Department.

And that's part of an even broader framework plan for the neighborhood, which anticipates a mixed-income housing need of 1,100 new units in the next seven to 10 years.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...housing-vision

[deja vu]

One easy way to resize images manually (assuming you have a PC) is to

1. Save the image to your computer.
2. Open the image in Paint.
3. Select the "Resize" button in the toolbar (shortcut: ctrl + w)
4. In the Resize window that opens, select Pixels (as opposed to Percentage)
5. Change the pixel size. I usually use 1024 Horizontal Width x whatever resultant vertical. 1024 × 768 is a very common display resolution that keeps the images small enough to avoid horizontal scrolling and large enough to still get some clarity & detail resolution on a typical screen. As long as the "Maintain aspect ratio" box is checked, this keeps the proportions correct.
6. Save the resized image and upload it to whatever online platform you use to host embedded images.
7. Embed the image, being sure to cite the original source if it is not your own image.

And voila, that's it. Now, if you need help on how to embed images that you have resized, that's another process, with multiple ways to go about it, depending on what you use. I host images on my OneDrive and my Dropbox accounts. Both let you generate embedded urls (OneDrive will even give you several resize options for the images when generating a url, so you can skip the above steps). There are many other options out there too.

[Thirteen Mile]

Thanks I appreciate it unfortunately I’m in the process of replacing my pc at the moment (only apple products currently). I was hoping there was a way to resize like skyscrapercity has that can be added into the post that I couldn’t find, oh well it’ll be useful information in a month or so when I get around to getting a new pc.

[SperamusMeliora]

Originally Posted by Thirteen Mile

Thanks I appreciate it unfortunately I’m in the process of replacing my pc at the moment (only apple products currently). I was hoping there was a way to resize like skyscrapercity has that can be added into the post that I couldn’t find, oh well it’ll be useful information in a month or so when I get around to getting a new pc.

On macOS:

1. Copy image to clipboard or save image.
2. Open the image in Preview.
3. Go to Tools > Adjust Size and then follow the rest of deja vu's instructions.

If you're using iOS/iPadOS, just search the web, plenty of step-by-step guides.

[deja vu]

Yeah, unfortunately, the old-school interface on Skyscraperpage is not nearly as user-friendly as the newer one at Skyscrapercity. Although I've heard complaints on there too.

[DetroitSky]

Lets get back on topic, guys.

The Obama Building opens its doors in historic Old Redford

The painting of former President Barack and Michele Obama hung at the corner of Grand River Avenue and Lahser Road for several years, a graceful portrait of the Obamas dancing in tuxedo and ball gown by Detroit artist Chazz Miller.

Colloquially, one might tell their friend to turn right at the Obama building when giving directions to meet at the Redford Theater or Sweet Potato Sensations just around the corner, staples of the Old Redford neighborhood. The Obama building itself, an old bank-turned-department store, had sat vacant for years.

A $3.6 million renovation of the historic bank building, originally built in 1917, brings four loft-style apartments and 8,800 square feet of retail space to Old Redford. The name of the development? The Obama Building, as selected by members of the community themselves.

A celebration was held on Thursday, Nov. 14, to commemorate the opening of The Obama.

Ground breaks for Detroit Shipping Co.'s sister project Complex 444 next month

There's a new development in the works by the same people behind the popular Detroit Shipping Co., the Midtown food hall and entertainment venue built from repurposed shipping containers that opened in 2018.

Dubbed "Complex 444," the $6 million, 21,000 square-foot mixed-use space will be located just east of the food hall at 444 Peterboro St., with ground expected to break in December.

The Platform Completes $40M Restoration of Former Cadillac Sales Center in Midtown

The Platform, a multi-faceted real estate development firm in Detroit, today announced the completion of a $40-million renovation of the historic, Albert Kahn-designed 6001 Cass building in the Midtown district near Tech Town.

As part of today’s announcement, company officials unveiled one of the largest vertical blade signs in the city. The four-story sign, standing 44 feet tall and 12 feet wide, replicates a Cadillac LaSalle sign that once adorned the building more than 75 years ago.

The sign highlights two of the building’s largest tenants. In October 2019, Tata Technologies relocated its North American headquarters to the top floor of 6001 Cass, occupying 20,000 square feet and adding 150 jobs.

Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and Metroparks to Partner at Wilson Centennial Park

[QUOTE]The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and Huron-Clinton Metroparks announced Thursday a multi-year, pilot partnership that focuses on new programs and recreation opportunities for city and suburban families at the future Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park on the West Riverfront.

Through the partnership, Metroparks will establish a physical presence in Detroit and contribute $6 million over seven years to the conservancy for expanded programs and operations at the new park, slated to open in 2023.

The agreement begins immediately with two years of combined programming and joint outreach efforts leading up to the opening of Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park along the Detroit Riverfront. Once the park is open, the agreement includes another five years of partnership that leverages the strengths of each organization.[QUOTE]



New development in Detroit will bring trade school to neighborhood

A new trade school and company headquarters are coming to a neighborhood off Livernois in Detroit.

The Black-owned construction engineering firm Gayanga Co. has purchased four parcels of land in the Hope Village neighborhood and plans to build training facilities at 14584 Livernois and a headquarters building at 14400 Wildemere.

The training facility will teach trade skills to Detroiters and will include a full-service garage.

"This neighborhood is a strong neighborhood," said Brian McKinney, CEO and founder of Gayanga, known in the city for many demolition projects.