DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[LMich]

Actually, blacks make up a substantial portion of those moving into the core. Of course, your working-class family is picking the suburbs, and, actually, many are moving out of the region and state, altogether. But, a lot of internal movement is back towards the core by all kinds of people.

BTW, I can attest to the very real flight by middle-class and even many working-class blacks out of the city. Of the four of my aunts who lived in Detroit in the 1990's, not one of them remains there, and only one still resides in Southeast Michigan. One of them even tried loft living before it became "cool".

Detroit is now being forced to learn and plan for shrinkage, just as many cities have been forced to learn and plan for growth. I really wish it would be less reactionary, and we'd start seeing city government proactively planning to shrink instead of reacting to the inevitable, though.

Personally, I wish the wealthy of Metro Detroit would fund a Kalamazoo Promise-type program that would promise all public school kids payment for college, if even only two years. That would go a LONG way in offsetting a lot of the other things Detroiters have to put up with, at the same time cutting down on crime by keeping kids in school.

There is just SO much that could, and needs to be, done. It seems like both city government and the residents are trying to put out ragging fires with buckets of water instead of concentrating their efforts. Everyone seems to be running around willy-nilly with little coordination.

[Michi]

Progress being made on the Detroit Riverwalk. -www.detroitriverfront.org-

Detroit Omni Riverfront Hotel.


Seawall and kleats east of Chene Park.


TriCentennial State Park.


Ste. Aubin Marina.


Gabrielle Richard Park (at Belle Isle Bridge).


Rivard Plaza with future developable, prime riverfront land.


Rivard Plaza pavillion construction.


Landscaping between Rivard Plaza and Chene Park.


GM's River East section.




Gabrielle Richard Park is the end of the line.

[subterranean]

Very cool, Michi. How exciting! How did you get in there with the workers BTW? And what's the word on Belle Isle? Maybe I missed it...

[the pope]

those aren't michi's pictures but rather the riverfront conservatories pictures

[Michi]

subt, the riverwalk is still blocked by fences. Those pix belong to the Riverfront Conservancy. Although, if I get a chance this evening, I'm going to go scope out to see if there is any new access points.

Here are some new artistic concepts of The Griswold.
















For parking garage overkill, I must say the effort behind this development is very classy. It makes the best of the situation, and the homes appear to be of high quality.

If I was in the market for a downtown condo, I'd probably lean toward the Griswold. It sure would be nice someday to qualify.

[subterranean]

What fabulous integration. Can't wait to see the finished product...of both buildings. i was in DT a couple weeks ago and ate at the coney island across the street (from about where the first vantage is, only at ground level). I'm terribly curious as to what the effects a great new hotel, and condos (on top of both) are going to have on the surrounding buildings. Not simply business wise, but aesthetically. That corner looks kind of rough at the moment but some facade improvements and perhaps some streetscape improvements would really look awesome, especially with C-Mart and the shiney new Visteon Bldg only a step away.

[detroit_alive]

From modelD:

15,000 sf biodiesel plant breaks ground in New Center

On Tuesday, May 15, Biodiesel Industries, in partnership with NextEnergy, celebrated the ground-breaking of a biodiesel production facility at John R and Baltimore. The 13,000-square foot facility will also be used for research, public outreach and education by the California-based company. This is their sixth U.S. plant, and it will have the capability of producing 10 million gallons of biodiesel per year.

Significantly, the plant will be feedstock-neutral, meaning that it can make use of feedstock such as corn and soybean as well as switchgrass, rapeseed, sunflowers and crude, refined and recycled vegetable oils.

The building was designed by Albert Kahn Associates and will be built by DeMaria Building Company, both Detroit-based companies with experience in alternative energy design-builds.

Russell Teall, founder and president of Biodiesel Industries, credited the city of Detroit for its welcoming efforts to help make the project happen. He said that while many reporters have asked him, "Why Detroit?" he sees it as the "center of the automotive universe" and answers, "Where else?"

His efforts to promote biodiesel stem from what he calls "The Three E's" – environment, energy and economy – and he believes that true sustainability exists when "you take a good environmental idea into a commercial project and make it economically sustainable."

The plant will employ 20-25 initially and construction is expected to be complete before the end of the year.

Source: Biodiesel Industries of Detroit, LLC ground-breaking
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

[hudkina]

Sounds good! Hopefully we'll hear more and more announcements coming out of Techtown over the next year.

[DetroitSky]

Those renderings of The Griswold look excellent.

[y2k_pony]

very cosmopolitan

[LMich]

Check out the new MotorCity rendering:



It's probably the only flattering rendering they've ever released. lol

It's moving along very fast. Both the News and Freep did a story on it, today, saying that the new casino portion is to open, next month, and the entire complex by years end, right on schedule.













http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...DATE/705290407

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...SS06/705290307

[cgrski]

The areas in these pictures are of the VIP areas. The entrance seen, once again for VIP's only. I hear that you will have to show your VIP Player's card to even get into the gaming area shown. So the general public will not see these areas. Will only have about 100 slot machines and from 12-15 tables. The rest of the expantion will have the remaining machines and tables. Much improved over the soon to be renovated original. Once the new area opens different sections will be closed off to revamp the "old" area to match the "new".

[Michi]

Detroit, Michigan: Friday, June 1, 2007

MGM Grand from 3rd and Forest.


Landscaping the garage along the Fisher Service Drive.


Very little exterior progress.


Gaaah! More pavement. This area is already a traffic disaster. Hopefully, the city and casino will figure out a way to control this intersection where 3rd meets the Bagley ramps and Michigan Avenue all at once. It's pretty messy.


Motor City from the Lodge and Forest.




Woodbridge Estates, Miracles Boulevard.


South University Village.


Bureau of Urban Living, Canfield Street. I goofed on the last update and reported the location in the wrong building.


Bad lighting on a facade rehab on 3rd Street, across the street from the temporary MGM Grand Casino. It looks nice.


Le Book Cadillac. One of my biggest urban planning pet peeves is what has been done with the streets here. It's aweful!




The Pick Fort-Shelby has been fenced off and is itching for its major overhaul to kick into full swing! What a fantastic project.


Greektown is building Detroit's most recent skyscraper, the 30-story Greektown Casino Hotel. The portion seen here is none other than the 60-story garage...(j/k)






The hotel tower starts at level 4, the next level!


This is the picture in the dictionary under "Parking City".




It's just overkill!








RAAR!


Soon to be blocked!


The new Music Hall for the Performing Arts looks great, although I haven't seen it at night yet.


As I was taking these photos, I realized how very little I've photographed this building. It's really beautiful.






Hello from afar.


Harmonie Park actually is under a master planning process right now. The idea is to bring back a lot of the Black Bottom influence of Detroit's better days. Black Bottom was the heart of the black community and arguably Detroit soul. It was shamelessly plowed over by I-75 as an excuse to erase the black, urban ghetto. If that was the case, why bring it back, right? Oh, American history never ceases to amaze me.


Windsor's casino tower making its ascent. I noticed a peek of glass on some of the lower floors.


Rivard Plaza, to open in a few weeks for the 1st annual Detroit River Days Festival. It has a carousel, bike rentals, food, and pavillion facilities.


The riverfront is turning out to be quite magnificent, and the local color is quickly defining something that can only be found uniquely and specifically in Detroit.








Prime riverfront property is patiently awaiting a turn in the economy.




Dodge Fountain in Hart Plaza is proving to people its original true potential as a landmark fountain.


Another a few extras. Look what Cadillac found!




Story Corp. Griot is a traveling trailer that visits cities to engage their residents in sharing African American history and heritage stories. It's been in Campus Martius Park for a while and will be here until mid month.


In its few years, Campus Martius has really become a regional jewell. It has been so much fun to watch the city transform around Campus Martius.


Greening the Garden Lofts, Brush Park.


Brush Park North, John R. Street.


Looks like stairwell and elevator shaft at the Crystal Lofts, Brush Park.


That's all for now.

[Michi]

*Double Post*

[hudkina]

Double the fun!

Great job, Michi. The riverfront is looking great. I can't wait until we start seeing an even bigger "eastern" skyline along the river and inland.

I think Detroit (with Windsor) should use "The International City" or "The International Experience" in its advertising more often.

[LMich]

Excellent tour, Michi! As usual, I'd suggest putting this one in the "My City Photos" forum, as well. People really like these type of threads.

This was my favorite view:



To think how Detroit looked when Cadillac landed, little more than a muddy, forested riverbank.

[hudkina]

That shot makes the Buhl Building look taller than it usually looks from the riverfront.

[skyfan]

Another great set of pics. What exaclty is going on at that building on 3rd?

[LMich]

I don't know, but isn't it an old Edison substation? I heard it originally had some kind of utilitarian usage.

[Michi]

Originally Posted by hudkina

Double the fun!

Wuups! Not sure how that happened. I erased it.
Yah, I think a little more creativity in marketing the river region could work some changes.

The building on 3rd is just a facade improvement I think. I was thinking of putting some photos in the City Photos section, LMich, since I have a bunch of other extras. But I just didn't have the time to sift through the other extras. Plus, I wasn't sure if it'd be a bit redundant.