DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[DetroitSky]

I also never realized how massive it is.

[DetroitSky]

The Hamilton renovation eyes fall completion

This wasn’t a renovation of an abandoned building like we normally see in Detroit. This building was deemed affordable housing, and the developers, Broder & Sachse Real Estate, intend to keep the residents in place. This meant relocating them over this past year (residents couldn’t be in the building while under construction due to elevators and other renovations like HVAC and electrical). A representative for Broder & Sachse Real Estate says that most qualified residents (those making $40,000 or less) plan to move back in, although they can’t release numbers until the renovation is complete.

True North selected as finalist for international architecture prize

While Detroit is known for its classic Art Deco architecture, it’s exciting for one of the new development to be acknowledged internationally for design. True North, a community of Quonset huts, has been selected as one of six finalists across the Americas by the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP).

The award recognizes “the best built work in the Americas completed between January 2016 and December 2017.” The other finalists represent many different scales, strategies, and purposes.

Exonerated man reopens shuttered coney island in southwest Detroit

Ten years ago, owning a restaurant was a dream DeShawn Reed never imagined.

In fact, it wasn't possible. At the time, he was still serving a prison sentence for a crime he didn't commit.

Now, Reed is preparing to open D's 24 Hour Coney Island in southwest Detroit to give back to the community and honor the restaurant's former owner, who was shot and killed during an attempted robbery at the building on Sept. 1, 2016. The grand opening is set for 5 p.m. Saturday.

I also recently came across some Monroe Block renderings that I don't believe have been posted before.


It seems like they plan to close Farmer Street to traffic between Bates Street and Monroe Street. This may be the only thing I dislike about the project. Even though most of Farmer is barely used by cars, I'm not a fan of all of these "mega blocks" all over.








I love the angle of One Monroe here but I hate they didn't include Cadillac Tower at its real size...



While we're on the topic of potentially unseen renderings, SoMA has a more complete and detailed rendering out. This building in particular is directly on the corner of Woodward and Mack. They have a sign up at the site and are leasing office and retail space online in this building, the two planned parking garages, and the two existing former Red Cross buildings. I guess they will be receiving some interior renovations.


The far right glass box building in the rendering is the site of the West Elm Hotel, which I believe is now pat of SoMA.

[animatedmartian]

^Also came across an overview sketch of the SOMA site. I wonder if this means they're pretty close to kicking off construction or if this is still just renderings to sell more leases.



Kinda wish this was closer to the downtown core so it could be taller and not look out of place. Or at least there needs to be a high rise (or a couple) built between Mack and Adams streets that's at least taller than a dozen floors. Something to just least break the monotony of mid-rises in the area and balance out the downtown scale.

[LMich]

Two of those renderings look very familiar, and a few others look like refinements of what we've already seen for Monroe Block (colors, maybe materials, etc.). We did know from the beginning, however, that they were closing off Farmer to create a better pedestrian flow internally, though.

Really love the angle of the office tower. The residential tower that caps off the end, though...I hope they do a better job. It's a little too Brutalist-inspired for me as they've planned it.

[Detroit]

I posted this on another board, but I'll post it here too.
Not to give any false hope to rumors, but I've been hearing a lot of rumblings about the purchase and redevelopment of Executive Plaza. Apparently, Holy Trinity Church shares a parking lot with Executive Plaza and the details are being worked out to move forward with a sale/redevelopment. Like I said, this could all just be rumored, but I have no reason to not trust my source.

[subterranean]

Originally Posted by LMich

Two of those renderings look very familiar, and a few others look like refinements of what we've already seen for Monroe Block (colors, maybe materials, etc.). We did know from the beginning, however, that they were closing off Farmer to create a better pedestrian flow internally, though.

Really love the angle of the office tower. The residential tower that caps off the end, though...I hope they do a better job. It's a little too Brutalist-inspired for me as they've planned it.

I'm in the same camp as you. The residential tower and even the midrises seem more like afterthoughts given how beautiful and put together the office tower looks. I wouldn't be surprised if these sideshow buildings get a lot more attention later.

The midrise renders look pretty slapdash. If you look closely at the entrances, the bricks don't even align correctly...like someone used the paint bucket feature basically indiscriminately. The paint bucket is the architectural equivalent of "fuck it."

[detroiterforlife]

Regarding the closure of farmer street I agree, i hate that they're forming a sort of 'super block' even though there will be pedestrian and non motorized access. I think one of the reasons behind it is the repurposing of the theater facade there, they plan to use the arch as a pedestrian 'gateway'.. which i think is awesome because it reminds me of all the archs in european cities .. but i wish instead they put it at the entrance of cadillac square from campus martius and kept farmer open to motorized traffic.

[DetroitSky]

Another high end retailer opening in the Woodward Avenue shopping district. I love seeing the Merchants Row area coming alive with actual merchants after decades of little to no shopping. I'm sure we can also expect a Shinola store in the Shinola Hotel on that block as well.

Women's fashion retailer Madewell opening in downtown Detroit

If this is going on the block they think it is, it will probably be either in the Shinola Hotel itself or in the ground floor of the Ferguson Building, which was recently being renovated and is still vacant.

[LMich]

I am trying not to laugh at this. L. Brooks Patterson is just repeatedly plunging a butcher's knife into irony with this little tantrum. Dude is lucky 2016 was such a good year for his party, because he'd have been gone, otherwise.

In blunt letter, Brooks Patterson attacks CEO group helping Detroit

John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press

August 8, 2016

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, who has long feuded with the City of Detroit over regional issues, is now sparring with a group of top CEOs trying to rebuild the city.

In a bluntly worded letter typical of Patterson's often pugnacious style, the Oakland leader accuses DTE Energy CEO Gerry Anderson and other top business leaders of being "self-appointed saviors" trying to steal Oakland County-based businesses for the city.

Patterson sent the July 26 letter to Oakland County Chamber directors, inviting them to a meeting in Patterson's office Thursday afternoon to oppose the business leaders' efforts.

In his letter, Patterson takes aim at DTE's Anderson, who, about two years ago, convened a group of major corporate leaders in metro Detroit to work on economic development issues. The group includes Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Quicken Loans, and Christopher Ilitch, head of the Ilitch family network of pizza, sports, entertainment and real estate companies, among many other top leaders.

The group has promoted regional transit as well as other economic development efforts.

"You don't have to read between the lines, it is clear what is happening: these self-appointed saviors for southeast Michigan are in the process of forming an 'economic partnership' to direct business investments to the City of Detroit," Patterson wrote.

"They will have no hesitation about coming into your community and snatching business leads in the righteous cause of 'rebuilding Detroit.' "

Go home, Brooks; you're drunk.

[LMich]

Looking through the August 2 Planning Commission agenda it looks like the developers have requested a rezoning for the project bound by Gratiot, Russell and Maple across the street from Trinity Luthern. They want a "Planned Development" district rezoning, which would give them flexibility in designing something very mixed use. We'd talked about this one a few months back, but I have forgotten about it. Anyway, they say they want: "multiple mixed-use buildings with residential, retail, commercial and institutional space, including a parking structure and additional off-street parking spaces." It'll be interesting to see exactly what they have planned here; I can't quite remember if there was talk about infilling this or starting over.

Here is Service Street that travels through the middle of this triangle:


Gratiot Service Street by Sean_Marshall, on Flickr

Service Street a block to the east is much more intact:


Service St. by Michael Doyle, on Flickr


Service Street by Michael G Smith, on Flickr

[DetroitSky]

Thats the Eastern Market Gateway site. There was a recent thread on DetroitYES showing new, more detailed renderings for the project. It sounds like all or most of the remaining buildings on that block will be demolished. They're also proposing a second phase featuring a high rise at the irregular corner of Gratiot, Rivard and Maple.








Service Street with the high rise dead ending the street

[LMich]

Woof. They are going to have to do better than that. I don't mind the height, massing, orientation...any of that. But that architecture is going to have to be much more befitting such a visible site. There is too much solid existing architecture in the blocks surrounding this area for something so slap-dash, IMO.

[DetroitSky]

Originally Posted by LMich

Woof. They are going to have to do better than that. I don't mind the height, massing, orientation...any of that. But that architecture is going to have to be much more befitting such a visible site. There is too much solid existing architecture in the blocks surrounding this area for something so slap-dash, IMO.

Yeah, a lot of the new buildings being proposed lately have a strange slightly more modern twist on typical 70s-80s architecture. I’d love to see either something more up to date in appearance and massing or, for this site, something to fit in with the retail blocks just past this site on Gratiot.

[LMich]

You know, I like almost everything proposed and under construction in Brush Park. So it's really not even that I don't want it to clash with the historic architecture, but if you're going to do that it better be good. In this particular case and location, though, I really would rather see something with some brick or stone included.

[subterranean]

I love how the second image actually gets the perspective wrong for the buildings. I laughed out lout.

[DetroitSky]

Originally Posted by subterranean

I love how the second image actually gets the perspective wrong for the buildings. I laughed out lout.

Great, now I can’t unsee that. Haha

Speaking of the second image, does anyone know what the “future urban edge” thing is that’s mentioned at the top?

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by DetroitSky

Great, now I can’t unsee that. Haha

Speaking of the second image, does anyone know what the “future urban edge” thing is that’s mentioned at the top?

If 375 is to become a surface street boulevard, that opens up a little bit of land for development. The expectation is that the new development will act as a transition between downtown and Lafayette Park.

Or to put it another way, the new development will likely be a mix of mid-rises and townhomes more similar to Lafayette Park rather than something high density like in downtown.

[davidberko]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

If 375 is to become a surface street boulevard, that opens up a little bit of land for development. The expectation is that the new development will act as a transition between downtown and Lafayette Park.

Or to put it another way, the new development will likely be a mix of mid-rises and townhomes more similar to Lafayette Park rather than something high density like in downtown.

I disagree. It's a gateway into downtown on prime land. Needs to be taller. Can't be brush park height or Orleans landing. Gotta be 10-15 stories. No shorter than 8. You've got the towers of Lafayette park in the nearby vicinity. Downtown is gonna grow up and down the river like it was supposed to all along. Can't settle for development that doesn't meet the scale of the neighborhood it's in (city club apartments, etc.).

[DetroitSky]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

If 375 is to become a surface street boulevard, that opens up a little bit of land for development. The expectation is that the new development will act as a transition between downtown and Lafayette Park.

Or to put it another way, the new development will likely be a mix of mid-rises and townhomes more similar to Lafayette Park rather than something high density like in downtown.

Ah, yes, I knew about that. Just never heard it paired with the term "urban edge" before. Theres a map somewhere online that shows what land will be made available to developers if/when the boulevard is built.

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by davidberko

I disagree. It's a gateway into downtown on prime land. Needs to be taller. Can't be brush park height or Orleans landing. Gotta be 10-15 stories. No shorter than 8. You've got the towers of Lafayette park in the nearby vicinity. Downtown is gonna grow up and down the river like it was supposed to all along. Can't settle for development that doesn't meet the scale of the neighborhood it's in (city club apartments, etc.).

Well then there's two options; keep the land empty until market conditions are met that justify building something that big or develop it sooner but on a smaller scale so that it will at least have productive use. Even then, it likely wouldn't happen anytime soon since there's no certain date on when 375 will get converted.