DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[SperamusMeliora]

Ford unveils Michigan Central site plan for Corktown

Ford Motor Co. on Tuesday unveiled its site plan for Michigan Central, the project to transform the area around the historic former train depot in the city's Corktown neighborhood into a campus focused on the mobility and transportation methods that will define the future of the automotive industry.

At a virtual community meeting, the Dearborn automaker revealed its vision for the four-building, 30-acre campus, which it is in the midst of redeveloping via a $740 million project that aims to connect to the surrounding neighborhood. Ford described the planned campus as an "inclusive, vibrant and walkable innovation district."

The proposed site plan will require approvals from several city departments, a process Ford has begun.

East of the station, Ford plans to build a parking garage and mobility hub with 1,250 parking spots for workers. The hub will feature exterior artwork, two new public plazas, green spaces, and a tree canopy. It will offer electric charging, smart parking and payment systems, space utilization sensors and smart lockers.

Aerial view:


Plan:


Book Depository:



Platform & Vernor Plaza:




Bagley Parking:

[subterranean]

Where the fuck are the high speed trains

[seabee1526]

Not all that nice looking is it.

[The North One]

Originally Posted by subterranean

Where the fuck are the high speed trains

When Canada gets it's shit together and starts work on the Detroit/Windsor-Toronto corridor.

[Thirteen Mile]

Thanks on the input I got spoiled with ease of just googling related images and picking the size I wanted, I’ll get around to editing my previous post the next I’m not just making a quick post from my phone.

Originally Posted by The North One

When Canada gets it's shit together and starts work on the Detroit/Windsor-Toronto corridor.

They’re just being polite and waiting for Moroun and Co to finalize their plans to bring in private and public entities on a Michigan Ave light rail line.

Like the north one said it really does make all too much sense to plan in some way shape or form for potential future high speed commuter usage with how much promise this corridor holds and half the work is nearly done on the much less train friendly US side. Perhaps once *Doug Ford is out of office, either way FoMoCo’s purpose for this campus is R&D on future of transportation some kind of a intermodal hub worked into the public space would be a great way to demo how their technology can fit into a much less 2 car in every garage friendly era.

[lambe160]

It is crazy that between GM, Ford, and FCA the Detroit area could be a Mecca for electric and autonomous vehicles, obviously it wouldn't compete with Silicon Valley but the amount of start ups and OEMs that could move into the area, as well, as larger companies looking to invest could be a huge bright spot for Detroit. Electric is the way of the future.

[Thirteen Mile]

The Metro area and increasingly as of late the city itself has always been a tech center the automation ally boom in the 90’s is perhaps the most well known iteration of the regions tech continued prowess.

However following the economic recovery after the 2008 recession Metro Detroit became one of the leading producers of tech jobs as many entrepreneurs who diversified away from the automotive industry during the recession saw huge gains as the regional economic ecosystem flourished with the auto industry with its best years since the boom of the 90’s. In 2011

This article from Forbes on the leading tech economies for 2017 sums it up well.

Easily the biggest surprise on the list is Detroit, which improved its position to ninth, a remarkable 30-place jump from the last edition of this list in 2015. It generated 26% growth in high-tech jobs and boosted its STEM employment by 8.4%. Despite the decline of the central city, the Detroit metro area has never faded as a technical center; due largely to the auto industry its per capita STEM employment has long been above the national average. This is reflected in a post-recession boom in engineering services in the region – some 14,000 new jobs since 2006 – leaving Detroit with a concentration of engineering services more than three times the national average. Its percentage of STEM workers is 50% above the U.S. norm, roughly equivalent to that of Raleigh-Durham, Boston and Denver.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.for...53D%253D#ampf=

Originally Posted by lambe160

It is crazy that between GM, Ford, and FCA the Detroit area could be a Mecca for electric and autonomous vehicles, obviously it wouldn't compete with Silicon Valley but the amount of start ups and OEMs that could move into the area, as well, as larger companies looking to invest could be a huge bright spot for Detroit. Electric is the way of the future.

Never say never this report by the Anderson group comparing S.E. MI & Silicon Valley shows Detroit not only competing with SV in job creation and STEM grads. It also shows that Detroit Region had the 2nd greatest concentration of tech jobs outside of Silicon Valley. Granted this is a snapshot in time when the SV was in the tech recession but it shows the fundamentals of the regional economy have the resources to compete with the best.

Disruption is the name of the game during the 2010’s the region was able come off from arguably one of its lowest points and compete at the top of the nations 15 big tech hubs. Who knows what the future will bring with the future of transportation as we know it in the infancy of being redefined. At the very least Detroit is well positioned to compete as the “new” economy evolves.

- Tech industry employment in metro Detroit is up 15 percent from the previous year’s study, while Silicon Valley shows a 4 percent drop.
Metro Detroit’s technology sector added more than 30,000 jobs, while Silicon Valley’s technology sector lost 10,000.

- Schools in metro Detroit graduated more students in the areas of engineering and engineering technology than any other region in the study, with more science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and computer-science graduates than Silicon Valley.

- Detroit had the highest concentration of tech jobs in the Midwest and was second nationally to Silicon Valley.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/articl...han-in-silicon


Speaking of innovation and tech ... innovation and tech are being suggested for long stalled Herman Kiefer complex redevelopment.

Herman Kiefer developer touts site for innovation hub, medical technology complex

Christine Ferretti
The Detroit News
Nov. 19 2020



A developer for the former Herman Kiefer hospital site is marketing the sprawling grounds for a potential innovation hub, garment manufacturing or medical technology complex.

Ron Castellano, managing member of Herman Kiefer Development LLC, on Thursday shared his vision for a "commercial, job-generating campus" across the 11 buildings on the 860,000-square-foot site.

During an annual update on the planned $143 million, eight-year project, Castellano touted the concept of an International Center for Automobile Innovation, adding he's brought on a brokerage firm to help market the campus to attract tenants.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne..._medium=UpNext

[DetroitSky]

About time! Crazy to think this project was first announced in 2013:

Work begins on 204-unit Woodward West on long-vacant land in Midtown

A large, long-vacant lot on prime real estate along Woodward in Midtown is about to be transformed into a five-story apartment building with ground-level retail.

The Detroit-based developers, Queen Lillian and The Platform, announced Thursday that work has begun on the $60 million project called Woodward West, which is slated to include 204 apartments and nearly 25,000 square feet of ground level retail on Woodward at Stimson, just south of Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Center for LGBTQ+ youth breaks ground 'in the heart of the city'

The Ruth Ellis Center and City of Detroit broke ground Friday on a $15 million new permanent housing development along Woodward for LGBTQ+ youth.

Called the Ruth Ellis Clairmount Center, the ground-up 43-unit, 44,000-square-foot mixed-use project at 61 Clairmount St. will have housing, a health clinic and community space.

Capital Stone Hand Carved for Ford’s Michigan Central

A new 11,500-pound replica of an original capital stone has been created and installed in the waiting room façade of Ford Motor Co.’s Michigan Central Station in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood.

The replica is part of Ford’s efforts to restore the building to its original grandeur as it turns the station into the centerpiece of its soon-to-be mobility innovation district.

John Goodrow Sr. of Capital Stoneworks Inc. in Bridgeport, Mich. spent 428 hours carving the stone from a 21,000-pound limestone block. He started the project Sept. 1 and completed it in late October.

[jonwylie]

I'm sure most of you guys have seen this already, but it could be another step in actually establishing "The District" after all these years.

Ilitch Company Plans Big Residential Redevelopment Near Arena

The Ilitch family organization says it intends to renovate six historic Detroit apartment buildings that it owns near Little Caesars Arena and rent them out as a mix of affordable and market-rate housing, a turnaround from its earlier plans for demolishing some of the buildings. The buildings date from the 1900s to the early 1920s and are situated side-by-side along a block at Cass and Henry Street. Two of the buildings currently house tenants; the others are shuttered and vacant.

The $60 million project would create 170 newly renovated apartments, with 84 of the units reserved at lower rents for income-qualified tenants — including the existing renters, said Keith Bradford, vice president of the organization's Olympia Development. In addition, a seventh and smaller former commercial building on Henry also would be renovated and turned into "community space."

[DetroitSky]

Sharrow Marine to Open Propeller Manufacturing Headquarters in Detroit

Sharrow Marine, a wholly owned subsidiary of Philadelphia’s Sharrow Engineering, today announced plans to build its global manufacturing headquarters for the Sharrow Propeller in Detroit.

The headquarters’ exact location, timeline for operations, and hiring plans were not disclosed.

Sharrow Marine is a nautical and aeronautical engineering company that focuses on the research and development of propulsion technologies. It offers propellers for inboard, commercial, and government use.

Breadless Sandwich Restaurant to Open Near Detroit’s Riverfront

A new restaurant concept that serves on-the-go breadless sandwiches has raised $1.1 million in capital and chosen its first physical location, slated to open in spring 2021.

Breadless, which offers sandwiches wrapped in leafy greens, was founded in Detroit by Marc Howland, Ryan Eli Salter, and LaTresha Staten. The new location will be at 2761 E. Jefferson Ave. in Detroit on the new Joseph Campau Greenway Connector, which is near the Detroit riverfront. Parking will be available on Larned Street.

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by SperamusMeliora

Wow...peep the station box being preserved but shorn of its throat. Like literally all of the buildings block the throat! That's either very very dumb site planning or willful sabotage of any effort to re-establish useful pax rail in Greater Detroit.

Ew. Hard pass. Fix that asinine site plan.

[Jasoncw]

#7 in the site plan is the "mobility platform". The renderings show the roof of that area, but I didn't catch what they were doing with the inside (underneath) of that area.

The building extends all the way to Newark Street to the south. To me it seems like there's plenty of space to add platforms, and put in other station stuff underneath. And if they really wanted more space they could build over Newark Street.

Because of its location, Michigan Central Station is never going to be a major train station again.

[DetroitSky]

Originally Posted by Jasoncw

Because of its location, Michigan Central Station is never going to be a major train station again.

The location might actually be what causes it to be a station again. It’s located on the same line that goes under the Detroit River and into Canada. If Amtrak/VIA ever decide to reinstate rail travel from Chicago to Toronto/Montreal, which has been discussed, MCS would be the logical location for the Detroit station.

Honestly, I don’t think Detroit will have a “major train station” in the foreseeable future. A couple Amtrak routes and potentially a few commuter lines is probably all a station is going to see and I don’t think it’s out of the question that MCS could be used for that.

[Jasoncw]

Originally Posted by DetroitSky

The location might actually be what causes it to be a station again. It’s located on the same line that goes under the Detroit River and into Canada. If Amtrak/VIA ever decide to reinstate rail travel from Chicago to Toronto/Montreal, which has been discussed, MCS would be the logical location for the Detroit station.

Honestly, I don’t think Detroit will have a “major train station” in the foreseeable future. A couple Amtrak routes and potentially a few commuter lines is probably all a station is going to see and I don’t think it’s out of the question that MCS could be used for that.

Yeah it would be good for going to Canada for sure. And if Amtrak ditched the Oakland County and midtown stations they could consolidate into a MCS station. There's also that train route to Traverse City that's being worked on, and that could go to MCS as well.

[DetroitSky]

Originally Posted by Jasoncw

Yeah it would be good for going to Canada for sure. And if Amtrak ditched the Oakland County and midtown stations they could consolidate into a MCS station. There's also that train route to Traverse City that's being worked on, and that could go to MCS as well.

There was also talk a few months ago of Toledo launching a regional line to Detroit.

If MCS ever does become a station again, I wouldn't be surprised if the Woodward Amtrak stays open to serve the Wolverine. It's unlikely the Oakland County stations will close, especially with the one in Troy being so new. And if we ever get commuter rail around here, it would make sense for a Pontiac/Flint line to terminate at the Woodward station and continue to use the stations in Royal Oak, Troy and Pontiac. That line would still have the option to terminate at MCS and use Woodward as an intermediate stop serving the New Center area.

That would leave MCS potentially with trains to Toronto/Montreal, Toledo and Traverse City and commuter lines to Pontiac/Flint, the airport, Ann Arbor and Mount Clemens/Port Huron.

We can dream can't we? Lmao

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by Jasoncw

#7 in the site plan is the "mobility platform". The renderings show the roof of that area, but I didn't catch what they were doing with the inside (underneath) of that area.

The building extends all the way to Newark Street to the south. To me it seems like there's plenty of space to add platforms, and put in other station stuff underneath. And if they really wanted more space they could build over Newark Street.

Because of its location, Michigan Central Station is never going to be a major train station again.

So here's the thing. The "mobility platform" preserves (or "preserves", depending on how you feel about it) the station box, but a station box is useless without a throat. The station box is just space for platforms and attendant tracks, but the throat is what connects the tracks in the station box to the mainline. It's just like how entrance and exit ramps connect freeways to local streets. Without those ramps, you couldn't access the freeway and therefore the freeway would be useless. In the same way, by blocking the station throat, Ford is ensuring that Michigan Central's station box is unusable in ANY capacity. This is an issue that needs to be shouted from the rooftops.

A station is more than its grand concourse. Ford preserving the main concourse but blocking the throat that's actually needed to make an operational station reveals their true priorities. Hell, you can even convert the baggage undercroft into a new concourse if you wanted to (and that's not a bad idea, either). What is most important here is making sure that the space dedicated to the station's transportation functions is not disrupted. Otherwise whatever scraps of space are left over become unusable.

Originally Posted by DetroitSky

There was also talk a few months ago of Toledo launching a regional line to Detroit.

If MCS ever does become a station again, I wouldn't be surprised if the Woodward Amtrak stays open to serve the Wolverine. It's unlikely the Oakland County stations will close, especially with the one in Troy being so new. And if we ever get commuter rail around here, it would make sense for a Pontiac/Flint line to terminate at the Woodward station and continue to use the stations in Royal Oak, Troy and Pontiac. That line would still have the option to terminate at MCS and use Woodward as an intermediate stop serving the New Center area.

That would leave MCS potentially with trains to Toronto/Montreal, Toledo and Traverse City and commuter lines to Pontiac/Flint, the airport, Ann Arbor and Mount Clemens/Port Huron.

We can dream can't we? Lmao

The Wolverine's Detroit-Pontiac run is a weird little thing, quasi-commuter rail already. Taking over this service with actual commuter rail would be good. So would be using the route out to Pontiac to launch Detroit-Flint and Detroit-Lansing-Grand Rapids-Muskegon regional rail!

Any and all of these things would require a proper Detroit terminal, which is what Michigan Central offers. There is an alternative which is moderately feasible for US service (using old ROW to run into a new facility probably under the Cobo Center) but Michigan Central is the most feasible terminal facility for Canadian service, so maintaining a station box--and its attendant throat--there remains important.

Ford's site plan irks me because (a) they jam everything into the throat, which is the worst possible space from a rail-transportation standpoint, and (b) they leave lots of unused greenspace where they should be putting nice urban blocks. It's obvious where their priorities lay, and those priorities aren't about good urban stewardship or good placemaking.

[Jasoncw]

I don't mean to build platforms where the old platforms used to be, I mean build the platforms right to the south, which they have left alone. There's 90+ feet there. I imagine you could fit 4 platforms on there. Even if you didn't want to put them directly on the mainline, you could still fit 2 platforms. If you extended the platform area over the unused side street you could do more.

Underneath (the tracks are on the roof of a one story building) would be the waiting room and other amenities. I don't know what Ford is doing with this space and if it would be available.

There's also an ornate hallway that connects the area under the platforms to the main station building. The podium of the main building will have restaurants and things which might be of interest to riders.

There's not really any circumstance where that station would need more than that. If rail service in Detroit somehow became wildly successful, a proper station in a proper location would be built downtown (probably under/behind the convention center like you said). I'm definitely not an expert on train operations but couldn't trains from Canada just exit the tunnel near MCS and then reverse direction to downtown?

I do agree with your criticisms of their plan though. I just don't think it precludes a station being built there.

[SperamusMeliora]

Originally Posted by Jasoncw

I don't mean to build platforms where the old platforms used to be, I mean build the platforms right to the south, which they have left alone. There's 90+ feet there. I imagine you could fit 4 platforms on there. Even if you didn't want to put them directly on the mainline, you could still fit 2 platforms. If you extended the platform area over the unused side street you could do more.

When the station was built there was a 20 ft platform just inside the south wall (Newark St side) for express business. This platform was not serviced by the subway/hallway for passengers underneath the tracks, but probably had its own entrance near Newark/Vernor.

[uaarkson]

Who is to say they can't just rebuild the throat sometime down the line when commuter rail is more than a distant pipe-dream. The fact that this building was saved from the wrecking ball is good enough for me.

[jonwylie]

The building that is going to be put right on the throat is one of the last to be built I believe. I think I saw somewhere that it won't even begin construction until 2022, so there's some time to make voices be heard about it.