DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[The North One]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

Thanks! Omg yes! This looks so good! We got some real nice mid-rise density starting to go on!

[subterranean]

If I remember correctly from my FBCI trainings, when the Palladium 12 was about to go in, the development negotiations included requests for an English roof treatment, playing off the name "Birmingham". I believe what they were asking for was a non-flat roof, perhaps Georgian in style. What came back was decidedly not English. They had placed a mansard roof on top of the thing. I don't know if was formalized in code, but I find it hilarious that most of the new buildings in Birmingham have mansard roofs.

[animatedmartian]

Birmingham has been building pretty nice midrises for the last few years actually. All of it is apart of a 2016 plan devised in 1996 to give Downtown Birmingham a more traditional urban look. However, the city does have a height limit of only 4 floors plus the attic and there's some very strict architectural guidelines to give the area a traditional look. So don't expect any highrises anytime soon (not that it's really needed in Bham since Troy is down the street).

Of course like everything else, most developments were slow to reach construction due to the economy but quite a few have been built so far and I think there's just a few more waiting in the pipeline.

I actually quite like the way the planning has come out and think it's worked well for the little city.

[The North One]

I love the mansard roofs, it reminds me of Paris.

I don't get why its funny.

Also, going with mid-rises as apposed to high-rises was probably a good idea, we need more walkable surface area rather than height right now.

[subterranean]

I like the roofs, too. It's funny because the city was asking for something English and it came back French.

[The North One]

I read the 2016 plan and it seems a bit extreme, I mean they want everything to be neo-traditional or bust. They have some kind of vendetta against modern glass buildings. A nice modern glass midrise wouldn't ruin the "continuity of the urban fabric" at all, just because there's a different architectural style doesn't mean it cant fit in. At least they're trying to make it as pedestrian friendly as possible.

@subterranean-it seems more appropriate considering the French history of the area, so I like it better than an English style. But yeah that is ironic.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by subterranean

I like the roofs, too. It's funny because the city was asking for something English and it came back French.

Well, it's not actually a mansard as there's no double pitch. Plus the base of a true mansard would emerge from a cornice. In this case, it's a tall parapet. It's actually got more english gothic flare to the rooftop than French.

The balconets however...very French.

[LMich]

Originally Posted by The North One

I read the 2016 plan and it seems a bit extreme, I mean they want everything to be neo-traditional or bust. They have some kind of vendetta against modern glass buildings. A nice modern glass midrise wouldn't ruin the "continuity of the urban fabric" at all, just because there's a different architectural style doesn't mean it cant fit in. At least they're trying to make it as pedestrian friendly as possible.

It was already kind of mentioned, but Birmingham is physically pretty tiny, and Troy is literally next door with Royal Oak - and its modernish residential mid-rises - down the road. There is more than enough space outside of Birmingham to build modern stuff. So, I'm not going to complain that the town is focusing more on its curb appeal than some vanity tower. I like what's going on on the greater Woodward corridor in the metro area.

[animatedmartian]

This was the announcement that was made at Eastern Market a few days ago.

State announces $100,000 in grants for 30 small, Detroit-area food ventures

David Muller
October 01, 2013

DETROIT, MI - The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and Charter One announced Tuesday $100,000 in grants for Detroit-area small food businesses and urban farmers.

The grants, ranging from $500 for signage at SeedsGROW Market Garden in Detroit to $5,000 for a walk-in cooler at Give and Grow Mushrooms in Clinton Township, are going toward three main purchases: land, equipment and signage and displays.

Ken Marblestone, president of Charter One and RBS Citizens in Michigan and Ohio, said that Detroit's small, independent food scene still has "room to grow." Of the grant money, he said, "We know it's not going to solve all Detroit's problems, but it is going to help us move forward."

...

http://www.mlive.com/business/detroi...0_in_gran.html

[LMich]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

This was the announcement that was made at Eastern Market a few days ago.

http://www.mlive.com/business/detroi...0_in_gran.html

Looks like the local media really oversold this before it was announced, huh? I mean, this isn't bad news, but it's certainly not a "major announcement," either. But, hey, the MEDC and Charter One got the photo-op they wanted, and that's all that was important. lol

[LMich]

Looks like the Woodward Avenue Streetcar is steadily moving ahead with its bids. Parsons Brinckerhoff has been chosen for design review and project quality control. M-1 is still shooting for an October construction start, believe it or not.

From Metro Magazine:

Rendering courtesy Parsons Brinckerhoff

PB wins Detroit streetcar contract

October 3, 2013

The City of Detroit awarded a contract to Parsons Brinckerhoff for design review and construction quality assurance services for the Woodward Avenue Streetcar Project.

The 3.2-mile-long streetcar line is being designed and built by M-1 Rail, a consortium of businesses, institutions, and foundations, in partnership with the City of Detroit and the Michigan Department of Transportation. The route will run along Woodward Avenue from the city’s downtown, through midtown, to the New Center area, and includes 11 stations with connections to Amtrak and the Detroit People Mover.

Under its contract, Parsons Brinckerhoff is assisting the City of Detroit with reviews of the project’s design plans, criteria manual, and specifications. The firm will also act as the city’s representative for quality assurance during construction of the project.

The Woodward Avenue Streetcar Project is funded from foundation, corporate, institutional, and Detroit Development Authority sources, along with a $25 million federal grant.

Parsons Brinckerhoff conducted a supplemental environmental assessment for the project, which received an amended record of decision in April. Construction is expected to start in mid-October 2013 with completion slated for the fall 2015.

BTW, M-1's website has finally been updated:

http://m-1rail.com/

[Busy Bee]

I haven't really followed the whole M-1 saga very closely, but could someone tell me how why they went from median running to curbside? I thought the original median plan seemed better.

[subterranean]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

I haven't really followed the whole M-1 saga very closely, but could someone tell me how why they went from median running to curbside? I thought the original median plan seemed better.

It is my understanding that the 'compromise' was to run curbside for the majority of the 3.3 miles, and running down the center in downtown and New Center. The private funders were pretty adamant about a curbside system, probably because of the stadia.

[hudkina]

South of Grand Blvd it runs along the curb. North of Grand Blvd it will likely switch to a center-running system.

[LMich]

It runs in the center at each end, but that's literally for only a few blocks, and only then to allow it to turn around since this is a circulator.

It went from center running the minute Bing pulled the city out of the project. The City of Detroit had always wanted this center-running, and the private entities that were to fund a lot of this wanted curb-running. Dan Gilbert in particular was adament about curb-running. Well, he finally got his way when Bing pulled the city out of the project and the private entities resurrected what was to be a light-rail line as a shortened streetcar line. It wasn't so much the result of a compromise, as it was one partner abandoning the project. Near the end of the Woodward LRT process before it was cancelled, there was something of a compromise, but the city had won more of what they wanted. Within the downtown (south of Adams), the line would have functioned as a side-running streetcar, but the line north of Adams running to 8 Mile would have been a center-running LRT.

BTW, bids come back for the streetcar vehicles very soon, so we'll get to see who they chose. My post from Skyscrapercity back on the first of the process:

Just an update on the Woodward Avenue streetcar line/M-1 Rail since the media hasn't gotten this out there, yet. An RFP for the streetcar vehicles was put out on the 20th. Proposals are due back October 21st, a provider is picked on October 28st, negotions with the provider start on the 31st, and contract has to be inked between M-1 and the provider no later than December 1st. So, things are chugging along.

Another thing to note in the proposal is that they are calling for vehicles that have the capability of off-wire functioning. M-1 wants at least three off-wire segements along the line. This should reduce cluttter near a few of the stations, and get the streetcar through underpasses and bridges.

[animatedmartian]

Fed's blight fighters to get started in Detroit
OCTOBER 9, 2013
MICHAEL MARTINEZ THE DETROIT NEWS


Several organizations expressed hope that the task force will work with them throughout the blight removal process and learn about what has been successful and what hasn't.

A federally appointed task force that includes Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert will meet for the first time today to figure out how to deal with Detroit’s 78,000 abandoned structures.

The blight task force’s inaugural meeting likely will be organizational, as the three members decide how frequently to meet, whether meetings should be open to the public and what should be done about the thousands of abandoned commercial and residential buildings throughout the city’s 139 square miles.

Detroit’s expansive blight problem was cited in Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr’s report to the state about the city’s fiscal woes in May; he later declared a blight emergency. The city has targeted blight over the years but has lacked funding for a grand-scale effort. Community groups and business leaders frequently have stepped up to raze buildings and clean up neighborhoods.

Like the city’s bankruptcy filing — aimed at getting municipal operations on solid financial ground — a plan to eliminate structural eyesores is seen as helping Detroit set the stage to stabilize neighborhoods and help with the city’s turnaround.

“We have to give consideration to what can be rehabbed, what can be saved, where the stable parts of the city are and what the environmental impacts are,” said Glenda Price, president of the Detroit Public Schools Foundation, who was named to the panel by the Obama administration last month.

....

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz2hDbchoqy

[animatedmartian]

Bill Pulte offers his solution to blight control via Forbes.

• Video Link

[LMich]

Speaking of blight, here is the rather detailed City of Detroit's interactive demolition map showing demolitions approved, in progress, and completed. It includes all classes of buildings, not just single-family homes. Basically, the entire map is lit up. lol No, but seriously, there are a few dots downtown that are worrisome. And something that stuck out is that immediately outside greater downtown, it looks like they are just leveling the North End.

[animatedmartian]

That map shows approvals of the last 5 years so I'm guessing those buildings might have been approved at one time but action wasn't taken or whatever.

That highlighted building on Randolph and Monroe is Buffalo Wild Wings so obviously it was never demo'd and doesn't seem to face demolition anytime soon. Seems like they don't update the map to reflect that.

But yea, it's crazy to see where the concentration of demolitions are. I'm surprised to see Warrendale with a concentration of dots since I thought that area was pretty stable for a while.

[LMich]

Well, that's kind of the problem of this mass demolition. When an area gets sparse, then another area empties out, so that's where the bulldozers move next. Notice how few demolitions you have directly east and west of Midtown and downtown; it's either because you've hit a stable neighborhood (Lafayette Park), or because there is basically nothing left (Briggs/North Corktown) and the people who are left are the ones sticking it out.