The Redevelopment of Detroit

[Rizzo]

So I mentioned this previously. BE CAREFUL BUILDING COMMUNITY GARDENS. I still think the downtown Lafayette site community garden will have disastrous effects and community backlish when development finally arrives.

Well here you go:
http://detnews.com/article/20110630/....-the-business

Tear down the garden. Expand the dog business.

[Rizzo]

Detroit, city of 100,719 vacant parcels and three Starbucks

Wow, only 3 starbucks. I thought there was more. Heck there's practically 3 on my block!

[hudkina]

Detroiters aren't douchey enough to pay $7 for a cup of coffee...

[twomutts]

Originally Posted by Hayward

So I mentioned this previously. BE CAREFUL BUILDING COMMUNITY GARDENS. I still think the downtown Lafayette site community garden will have disastrous effects and community backlish when development finally arrives.

Well here you go:
http://detnews.com/article/20110630/....-the-business

Tear down the garden. Expand the dog business.

Normally I'd argue that a community garden adds a tremendous amount of value to a neighborhood, but the fact is, there's a huge empty lot just to the west that could be used. The city should just offer that up to the gardeners.

[hudkina]

Until someone comes along and decides to develop that lot.

I think the city should take a proactive measure and identify specific plots in Midtown that should be set aside specifically for urban gardening. In this case, I'm all for the new development, but eventually Midtown will get to the point where there won't be much open space left. There are a few parks here and there, but it would be nice to be able to maintain community gardens.

[LMich]

I thought the whole idea of the Detroit Works Project is to indentify areas were the city doesn't want intensive redevelopment, and turn to turn them over to more natural uses? If that's the case, I don't mind a few demonstration urban gardens in high-density areas, but most of this stuff should be in the low-density residential neighborhoods leaving the dense, urban core to be redeveloped as, you know, well, a city.

I honestly don't get why Birdtown is taking this particular garden to make an issue with. It seems fairly clean-cut to me: they don't own the land, and the city has a thriving business expanding in an area in very serious need of high-intensity redevelopment. Some advice to these farmers, you know how you prevent this from happening? You buy the land you seek to farm on, which in Detroit is dirt cheap. They were essentially squatting on land that they farm at the pleasure of the city, since the city owned the lots. They knew this before they started farming.

The city has been working on an urban farming ordinance for over a year, now. They need to really get cracking and clarify a vision for this type of land use in the city. Apparently, the zoning code doesn't really allow this type of land use, currently, and they have to legislate it in.

[DetroitMan]

Somerset comes to Woodward CityLoft

An architectural rendering of Somerset Collection CityLoft. The boutiques will be located in a 4,000-square-foot space on the first floor of Merchants Row on Woodward Avenue and will be open the last Thursday, Friday and Saturday of every month through at least September. / Hobbs + Black Architects

The Somerset Collection in Troy, the most upscale mall in the state and one of the toniest in the nation, will bring mini versions of several of its stores -- including Neiman Marcus, Michael Kors, Saks Fifth Avenue, Coach, Lego, the Gap and a Häagen-Dazs ice cream cart -- to downtown Detroit later this month.

Called Somerset Collection CityLoft, the boutiques will be located in a 4,000-square-foot space on the first floor of Merchants Row on Woodward Avenue.

CityLoft will be open the last Thursday, Friday and Saturday of every month -- beginning July 28 -- through at least September.

http://www.freep.com/article/2011070...dward-CityLoft

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by hudkina

Detroiters aren't douchey enough to pay $7 for a cup of coffee...

I didn't realize the folks in midtown were douchebags. They seem like a great group of people who actually live in and support the city...and support businesses that are actually willing to invest. The Ellington lofts location has always been packed. The sad thing is I thought Detroit had far more Starbucks downtown. They used to be several blocks apart from one another. What happened to them? What replaced them?

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by DetroitMan

Somerset comes to Woodward CityLoft

An architectural rendering of Somerset Collection CityLoft. The boutiques will be located in a 4,000-square-foot space on the first floor of Merchants Row on Woodward Avenue and will be open the last Thursday, Friday and Saturday of every month through at least September. / Hobbs + Black Architects

http://www.freep.com/article/2011070...dward-CityLoft

This is excellent news. Even if it's only a few days, this is the first major step of getting well known stores to open downtown. If it's successful enough, the city may end up with something permanent.

I really think there is more momentum than ever to get stuff moving into downtown. While I appreciate the big investment in civic spaces of the last decade...Campus Martius, riverfront, and stadiums, I think it's the push by investors to bring more retail and restaurants downtown that's really going to be a big turning point for the city.

[hudkina]

I think at most there were six Starbucks. One in the Ren Cen, one in the Millender Center, one in the Buhl Building, one in the Ellington, one on the Wayne State campus, and a standalone on Jefferson near Belle Isle. The standalone and the one in the Millender Center were converted to Tim Horton's, while the one in the Buhl Building was replaced by a UPS store or something. That leaves the one in the Ellington, the one on the Wayne State campus and the one in the Ren Cen. I'm not sure, but I believe another one opened in the MGM Grand. It may have opened after the other three closed, but I have no idea.

[Rizzo]

Someone told me the David Whitney building was damaged in the harsh storms that came through today. A 100' x 10' section of the building came down.

[fishrose]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Someone told me the David Whitney building was damaged in the harsh storms that came through today. A 100' x 10' section of the building came down.

Photo credit: Andy from http://www.hotfudgedetroit.com

It doesn't look as bad as you made it sound. I was expecting part of the main facade to have come loose with that description.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by fishrose

Photo credit: Andy from http://www.hotfudgedetroit.com

It doesn't look as bad as you made it sound. I was expecting part of the main facade to have come loose with that description.

Oh wow, incredible. Well, I'm only repeating what I heard. Though that appears to be correct...a 100' x 10' section. Though you are right, it's fortunate it's not the main facade. Those louver screens were hideous.

[subterranean]

Crazy. I sure hope no one was hurt.

[Rizzo]

No one was around the building at the time. The people mover station sustained minor damage.

[fishrose]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Oh wow, incredible. Well, I'm only repeating what I heard. Though that appears to be correct...a 100' x 10' section. Though you are right, it's fortunate it's not the main facade. Those louver screens were hideous.

Yeah, they were pretty gross.

[hudkina]

Hey! At least now they don't have to pay to remove them and can claim insurance as well!

[LMich]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking that as long as no one got hurt, that this part of the building being blown down was actually an architectural improvement. lol The building looked way better before they brutalized it up top.

[Rizzo]

I pretty sure all that would have to come down in a renovation. Also notice it was never anchored. I'm not sure what they were thinking when those screens were designed.

[subterranean]

Can anyone recommend a good book on the history of these buildings in Detroit? I'd really love to delve into them a bit more.