DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[mind field]

excellent videos. Really highlights all the positive synergy happening in Detroit. Thanks for posting that Eric.

[detmi7mile]

love the videos....always good to see positive things going on

[cgrski]

Great vids.

Any new pics of the progress on Greektown expantion and Motorcity exterior?

[LivingIn622]

greektown is way too slow at building.

[EuphoricOctopus]

How many floors is the Greektown Casino currently at?

[Michi]

Hmm...I'm thinking around 18...

The update's from Saturday February 23, 2008.

Jonna New Amsterdam Lofts finally with lower level windows - New Center/Techtown.




New DIA - John R. Entrance




Farnsworth Entrance


Bummer...Forest Arms Apartmens Fire...Early February fire consumed the top two levels of this building (built 1904) and gutted the roof. Fortunately, yet unfortunately, I had a view of the disaster.




















A bunch of views of South University Village (Studio One Apartments).

Earlier


To date






The little black squares are windows.


Actually looks really good so far, IMO.






SUV Garage


Forest Avenue retail(?)


Wayne State School of Medicine Expansion (Detroit Medical Center on Canfield Avenue)




Slow progress on Brush Park North.


Completion of Crystal Lofts exterior, Erskine Street - Brush Park. Continued progress being made for Zaccaro's Specialty Market on the ground level.
http://npfv.com/zaccaros/index.aspx
http://www.modeldmedia.com/developme...aros12708.aspx


Skyline from Tolan Playfield, Detroit Medical Center.


Greektown Casino Hotel




I like the glass pattern that was chosen for the facade.




With the mobile marketing campaign.


St. Antoine Street Frontage


Tower with Lafayette Ave. expansion on left.


It is built over 1/2 of the boulevard.




Brick skin ongoing.


Not sure what's going on with the Sheraton (former Ponchartrain) Hotel. It still looks like there is a lot of work going on on the inside.


The Dequindre Cut is making some great strides! Workers were onsite even on Saturday.


And on a major positive side note, it appears as though transit is planned for the future to connect the river to Eastern Market!...a no brainer.


The Lafayette Avenue access ramp.


The old cut looking toward Eastern Market/Gratiot.


Caesar's Windsor




Westin Book Cadillac Magic! Only 8 more months!




Masonry detail.




The Griswold Capitol Park...sadly minus the residential component originally planned for the top. Maybe someday soon they will be built...I can't imagine this thing as solely parking garage. UGG!
This is the back side.


After about 2 weeks, it's already 6 of 10 floors on the east section.


The garage will serve as the parking for the Westin Book Cadillac, on the left.




The expansion will go westward.


Looking north down Griswold Street. Capitol Park is behind the building in the background.


Rosa Parks Transit Terminal is making some good progress as well. This project is important because it will take out all of the smelly buses and street people from Capitol Park. This will make the park and the neighborhood itself be the next major downtown district for the city to tackle.




Book in the back.


Book Cadillac in the back.


Drywall going in the lofts at the Iodent Building, Park Avenue District. The Jonas Brothers Teeny Boppers were already lining up for the concert here in like 6 hours...good grief. lol


Pick Fort Shelby Renovation


MGM Grand Winter Display


It looks pretty cool at night.




Motor City Casino, nearing completion.




North side: Grand River and Brooklyn.


From Woodbridge Estates Neighborhood.




A few side dishes:

Cross streets in Woodbridge




Kales Building


Detroit's getting ahead with some new projects...hardy har har...

[toog05]

Nice update Michi, thanks! Looks like greektown hotel may have about 10 floors to go?

[hudkina]

Looking great. The Griswold parking garage looks decent from the photogaphs. It sucks that nothing is going on top any time soon.

Btw, after seeing the transformation of the Book-Cadillac, I wish I had a million dollars to donate to the owners of the Book Building just to give the building a bath!

[the pope]

thanks michers!

[RossDetroit]

Thanks Michi. Good to see how things are going in Detroit. I can't wait to come back. Very sad about the Forest Arms, it is a beautiful bldg. Did you guys read the good news about the GM Riverfront condos in the Detroit News? Keep us posted Michi.
PS: I agree, the Book bldg and tower could use a shower. Maybe the owners will do so after the conversion into lofts and retail is finished. Did they start yet?

[themapman]

Thanks for the update Michi, much appreciated. Has there been any talk about saving the facade of the Forest Arms?

[Michi]

Any new residential developments are going to have to coincide with what the market is doing. Right now, not a whole lot. I'm not sure what GM's intentions are for their own riverfront plans. It might take longer than they would like. This isn't because of something uniquely Detroit, but rather the overall housing crisis throughout the country.

mapman, I haven't heard anything regarding the redevelopment/renovation of the Forest Arms. It would be heartbraking if it was destroyed. By using my own personal judgement of other decrepit/obsolete/burned out buildings that were (at least seemed) worse off than the Forest Arms, I would hope that someone would come in and see if they could invest in bringing it back to the community that it is such an integral part of.

But, if you do a mental inventory of all the historic buildings such as Forest Arms, but also realize that many of them are not as well off (druggies, vacancies, low rents, etc) that there is a real risk of losing other architectural gems in the greater downtown region of the city. Though I know a lot of people will condemn me for saying this, but that's one reason why I would support gentrification of some neighborhoods.

[hudkina]

Midtown is meant to be gentrified. It's one thing to have affordable housing for low-income residents and seniors. It's another thing to have drug dens. I have no problem pushing the underclass (not to be confused with the working class) to the fringes of the greater downtown area.

[Michi]

Indeed. I just don't want to be insensitive toward people who deserve to live in and around Greater Downtown if they choose to, even if they don't quite fall under a certain affordability quotient.

[gsgeorge]

Detroit NEEDS to be gentrified. It's one thing if you're talking about a thriving lower-class community in Baltimore. It's another if the neighborhood is largely vacated, full of garbage, drug dens, and transients. Bring it on. I HOPE rich people start moving in.

[subterranean]

I think that the people of this forum owe Michi dinner and drinks. The amount of time he puts into his photos and tour posts is remarkable. He's basically the only one who updates us on the status of Detroit projects. I just wanted to extend my thanks.

Personally, I can't wait to see what Brush Park North looks like in the end. It just looks like good design, especially for the area. The housing for Wayne State looks really good, too.

I can't wait until we have a few real nice spring days so I can strap on my walking shoes and take a huge walking tour. Of course, anyone willing to show this non-native around would be much appreciated.

[LivingIn622]

great pictures Michi. The contsruction looks great. I got to go check all of that out.

[al2six]

I spotted something odd on msn maps today. if you scroll around, you can see the city in pictures taken at different times. i found a building that disapeared. here is a picture with the building: http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=...st.0&encType=1

and here it is gone: http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=...st.0&encType=1

anyone know what this building was and what is happening/happened to that lot?

[zuelas]

That was the Statler hotel torn down a few years ago. It was depressing seeing it dismantled as you were on the people mover and it passed right by. I guess the only positive is that the lot is speculated to be the site for Quicken's new HQ which could potentially be a much larger structure than the Statler was. It'd be a really nice site for an iconic bldg IMO bordering both Grand Circus Park and Washinton Blvd w/a good view from Woodward Ave.

[hudkina]

While the Statler will be missed, it might be worth it to see a new 50+ story building built on the site.