[DetroitSky]

Real Estate Insider: 511 Woodward may get dramatic exterior redesign

"Wild."

That was my one-word text to Zaid Elia last week when I saw the rendering of the building at 511 Woodward Ave. in downtown Detroit that he is in the process of buying from Wayne County for $4.65 million.

To be sure, if the project gets completed, the 30,000-square-foot building will look dramatically different when all is said and done. Elia envisions floor-to-ceiling windows and a unique screen wall covering most of the building's Woodward frontage.

"I wanted to have a modern building in the city that was a little different than any other building surrounding it, but it was within the context of the community," Elia said Monday. "Because it is a four-story building at the footstep of the Guardian Building, I needed to differentiate the look."

MotorCity Casino parking deck deets

The document says the expansion "will exist harmoniously with the existing garage," meaning that casino-goers would be able to go from one to the other seemlessly.


Jacci Woods, a spokeswoman for MotorCity Casino, said the expansion is also needed "to help with higher demand periods" such as "weekends, special events and prime concert nights."

It would take about 12 months to build, and how to adorn the deck is still being discussed, she said.

Ilitches miss development plan deadline for Woodward/I-75 property

The Ilitch family has missed another deadline as part of its District Detroit project.

The Detroit Economic Growth Corp., the taxpayer-funded quasi-governmental city development agency, on Monday confirmed that Olympia Development of Michigan has not yet filed a development plan for the northwest corner of Woodward Avenue and I-75 as required.

"There is no plan before the (Downtown Development Authority) for the development of this parcel but we are currently in ongoing discussions with (the) developer to identify next steps," Charlotte Fisher, spokeswoman for the DEGC, said in an email. She did not answer questions about any penalties Olympia, the Ilitch family's real estate company, will face for missing the extended June 28 deadline that was approved last year.

^^^I'm guessing it surprises no one the plans for Motor City's new garage is moving along quicker than new buildings in the District Detroit. What a joke.

Nonprofit support hub opens in New Center

Co.act Detroit hopes to help with this problem. As part of a $5 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, the nonprofit hub officially opened the doors to its 6,500-square-foot space at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Grand Boulevard in rapidly-developing New Center.

Co.act, which occupies the first floor of the Midtown Detroit Inc.–owned building, has a number of well-furnished spaces for organizations to rent. There’s a main flex-space, a communal table, a conference room, and smaller rooms for one-on-ones. The rooms have names like “Peanut Butter Block” and “Bumpy Cake” in reference to the building’s past tenant, a Sanders Candy store.

The space was smartly designed by McIntosh Poris Architects. Doors can slide open or closed to provide a sense of openness or privacy as needed. Walls double as white boards. Many of the rooms are wired for projectors and screens. There’s even two showers to support bike culture.