DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[animatedmartian]

Some random pics from around town. This is the recently renovated student center.





Q-Line track and wires.



Also a couple of stations.





It also looks like they've added what I presume is an elevator shaft or extra stairwell onto the Wulitzer.

[animatedmartian]

I'm going to make a separate thread for this in the general development forum so this doesn't get lost in the thread clutter.

Large Brush Park project to start construction next week

By Daily Detroit Staff -Nov 25, 2016

The Brush Park neighborhood of Detroit at one time was full of the stately homes of some of the big leaders in the city.

There was a ton of buzz about the rehabilitation of the Ransom Gillis house last year, but there’s more to what’s going to happen to the neighborhood just east of Woodward and steps from the new Little Caesars Arena and the new QLINE.

Later this week major construction will kick off on what some estimate to be a $70 million or more investment into an area just larger than a city block that is going to remake this section of greater downtown Detroit.

The name of this is “City Modern Detroit,” designed as a walkable community whose website quotes urbanists like Jane Jacobs. The construction style is very modern set next to historic homes. The rough boundaries are going to be John R., Alfred, Brush and Edmond Place. It’ll contain about 410 residential units (up from previous estimates in the 330 range) and something like 20,000 square feet of retail.

....

http://www.dailydetroit.com/2016/11/...ion-next-week/

[animatedmartian]

Report: 1,600 Multifamily Units to be Delivered in Detroit Next Year
BY EMMA KLUG November 29, 2016 .

More than 540 multifamily units have been built this year in Detroit, and more than 1,600 units are expected by 2018, says a new report from JLL, a professional services and investment management firm with offices in Royal Oak.

According to the firm’s report, most of the new development to date has been concentrated in 7.2 square miles of Detroit, which includes the downtown district, Midtown, Eastern Market, New Center, and Corktown. Just over 1,550 units have also been added in Detroit overall over the last five years, and there are currently 37 proposed projects that would add another 5,000 units.

“Expect an increase in mid- to (high-rise), mixed-use product to come to market, creating dense walkable neighborhoods,” says Aaron Moore, a multifamily associate at JLL, in the report.

More than $10 billion has been invested within Detroit in the last decade, and 16,000 new jobs have moved to the city since 2010, the report says.

....

http://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/...oit-Next-Year/


Speaking of one that's pretty close to finished...







https://www.facebook.com/thekraemere...53830204880882

[animatedmartian]

Gilbert launches Brush Park homes, vows to take Detroit 'vertical'
John Gallagher , Detroit Free Press. November 29, 2016.


(Photo: Max Ortiz, The Detroit News)

Businessman Dan Gilbert promised Tuesday to launch multiple new building projects in Detroit to help the city "go vertical."

Up to now, the billionaire founder and chairman of Quicken Loans has made his mark renovating older office buildings downtown. His only ground-up construction so far has been his Z Garage downtown.

But at a ceremony Tuesday to launch construction of his new City Modern project, a 410-unit residential building in Brush Park, Gilbert said the "horizontal era" of renovating older buildings is coming to an end.

"Now it's about vertical," he told a large audience including Mayor Mike Duggan at the Brush Park ceremony. "We're going to build a lot of stuff in Detroit. There's a huge demand. A lot of people say, 'Are you guys sort of done?' They ask the mayor the same question; they ask other developers that. I don't think we've started yet."

In Toronto, Gilbert noted, a score of construction cranes stand out on the skyline. Other cities including Chicago are likewise building significant projects. That's his vision for Detroit.

"It talks about the future, the optimism, the can-do efforts," he said. "Nothing gives more hope, in my opinion, than new construction in cities. That's always a sign of good things to come. I'm very, very excited about the future. We're just getting going here."

Gilbert didn't identify any of his future projects, but one that's been in the works for a long time involves the site of the former Hudson's store on Woodward Avenue in the heart of downtown. Gilbert and his team have worked for the past couple of years on plans for a major new development on the site, releasing a rendering of an architecturally innovative structure that might rise there. So far, Gilbert has remained mum on any details.

....

http://www.freep.com/story/money/bus...rock/94615206/

[skyfan]

This came out of nowhere!

Sources: Gilbert's Monroe Block plan includes at least 20 stories of office, residential component



A large-scale development on the Monroe Block in downtown Detroit calls for at least 20 stories of office space and a residential development wrapped around the building, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The Detroit Downtown Development Authority is expected to meet at 3 p.m. Wednesday to hear more details about the plan by an entity tied to Dan Gilbert, the billionaire founder and chairman of Quicken Loans Inc. and Rock Ventures LLC.

Additional details about the plan — including the number of residential units, total office space square footage and overall cost of the plan — were not known Tuesday evening. More information is expected to presented during the DDA meeting that will be held in the Guardian Building.

A least two nondescript buildings on the same block as the historic National Theatre building are expected to be demolished as part of the development plan, sources said.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article..._medium=social

[rlw777]

Monroe Block Proposal from Bedrock

Renderings provided by Bedrock show the 20-story office tower rising on what is now a surface parking lot at Woodward and Monroe directly east of Campus Martius. The 15-story residential tower rises next to it. Further east, a combination of low-rise and a mid-rise residential towers are depicted. In all, at least 250 residential units could be created in the project.

All the images resulted from a master planning exercise and do not represent a final design concept, since Bedrock has yet to hire an architect for the project.

- from Freep

[uaarkson]

Hnnnnnnngggggghhhhhh!!!!!!

[The North One]

They don't represent the final design as in if Gilbert's state legislation doesn't pass the project will be downsized.

The whole development looks amazing with a strong emphasis on the pedestrian and walkability, Gilbert really knows what he's doing, bravo.













Read more at the source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/g...ise-since-2003

[Docdusha]

[IMG][IMG][/IMG][/IMG]

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by The North One

That's actually pretty cool how to preserve the facade of the National Theater. It's like a gateway into a new neighborhood. It reminds me of the sort of gates you see in Chinatown neighborhoods.

[The North One]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

That's actually pretty cool how to preserve the facade of the National Theater. It's like a gateway into a new neighborhood. It reminds me of the sort of gates you see in Chinatown neighborhoods.

Yeah, I really love that idea.

It's like Detroit's own unique little Arc de Triomphe. I think it's a very creative and awesome way to honor the building.

[rlw777]

Originally Posted by Docdusha

Griswold Construction Album

You should use "Insert Link" instead of "Insert Image" for these URLs as they are urls for an album instead of for an image. I removed one of the links which was to the same album but with fewer pictures and fixed the other link above.

[Warrenite84]

Although these are just preliminary plans, the Monroe Block looks promising to me. IMHO, he could do much better for the Bates Block part of the plan. I would prefer a Vancouver type midrise on that block with perhaps a couple residential towers on a 5-7 story base.

Leave the European style low buildings for outside the CBD.

[subterranean]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

That's actually pretty cool how to preserve the facade of the National Theater. It's like a gateway into a new neighborhood. It reminds me of the sort of gates you see in Chinatown neighborhoods.

Even though I agree with you that it looks cool and is an interesting concept, the part that I don't understand is that it looks as though there is absolutely nothing behind it except walkway. Which begs the question, why does it have to be demo'd?

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by subterranean

Even though I agree with you that it looks cool and is an interesting concept, the part that I don't understand is that it looks as though there is absolutely nothing behind it except walkway. Which begs the question, why does it have to be demo'd?

http://www.detroiturbex.com/content/...nal/index.html

The outside facade is the most well-preserved part of the building. The inside is pretty far gone (even compared to other famously dilapidated Detroit landmarks) pretty much to the point that it wouldn't even be a restoration and would probably need to be completely rebuilt/redesigned. Also theaters are kind of tricky to put back into use if there's really no demand for a venue of that size.

[subterranean]

Thanks. I hadn't realized how bad it was. Still, it's too bad.

[animatedmartian]

The Platform's 181-unit development in TechTown moves ahead with WSU vote
By KIRK PINHO. December 2, 2016.





About 181 residential units are expected to be built at Cass Avenue and York Street in TechTown Detroit following a Wayne State University board vote Friday afternoon.

The board approved a development agreement, ground lease and purchase agreement for the university's former criminal justice building at 6001 Cass Ave. and a portion of the 220-space parking lot at 445 York St.

With those properties, Detroit-based The Platform LLC plans a redevelopment of the Albert Kahn-designed building that would have 69 residences. The building is being sold for $2 million.

Another 64 apartments and 48 condominiums would be built as part of the project, which would also include an art gallery for Wayne State's exclusive use, according to a board document. A news release from The Platform says 32,500 square feet of retail space is planned.

"We are excited to bring this important structure back to active use and have it serve as a critical component in the growth of the TechTown neighborhood," Dietrich Knoer, principal of The Platform, stated in the release.

Wayne State is committing up to $2.4 million for construction of the 6,000-square-foot art gallery.

.....

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ahead-with-wsu

[The North One]

48 condominiums

Condominiums are in really short supply in the city, this is great news.

More renders on here: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/w...its-new-center

[bobjgumby]

Unfortunately the cornice was removed in 2014. Hopefully they plan on restoring that feature, it really changed the look of the building.

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ahead-with-wsu

[skyfan]

Little Caesar's HQ progress


https://twitter.com/DistrictDetroit