DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[Docta_Love]

Looks like Eastern Market may be getting a high-rise. I actually believe I know the developer as well or at least Idk about Joey but my friend mentioned her dad's branch of the Jonna group was getting involved I believe, i'll see about getting some inside info.

Eastern Market site slated for 79 apartments headed to auction

By KIRK PINHO
Crain's Detroit Business
February 15, 2018



Developer Joey Jonna is asking a minimum bid of $600,000 for this site in Eastern Market in Detroit between Russell and Rivard streets.


-2801 Russell St. minimum bid is $600,000
-Online auction runs April 9-11
-Site slated for 79 apartments, 15,500 square feet of commercial


But Barry Swatsenbarg, senior vice president in the Southfield office of Colliers International Inc. who is one of the brokers handling the April 9-11 auction, said Jonna "received a tremendous amount of unsolicited offers to do the deal before he went vertical."

"He felt compelled to take it to the market," Swatsenbarg said. "He thought the auction process was the best. And it's site plan-approved, so someone can just step right in and go vertical if they'd like."

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ded-to-auction

Doner 'dipping a toe in the water' on moving HQ to downtown Detroit

February 15, 2018
Crain's Detroit Business
KIRK PINHO



Doner's new co-working space in the Oslo Building at 1456 Woodward Ave. in downtown Detroit opened in the fall.


Doner CEO David DeMuth floated a hell of a trial balloon Wednesday afternoon during an interview about the Southfield-based advertising agency's small new co-working space downtown.

"It's a toe in the water to see if we want to move the whole company down there when our lease is up next in 2020," he said this afternoon.

...

While DeMuth said Doner has not retained a brokerage firm to look around for downtown space for its 450 or so employees, the company has "been talking to various entities about it."

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/newr...reply&t=102019

[Docta_Love]

Investment group buys Hotel St. Regis

By KIRK PINHO
Crain's Detroit Business
February 18, 2018



The Hotel St. Regis has had a tumultuous 10 years since a 2007 renovation.


-Turnaround expert Saunders takes on hotel turnaround
-Investor group plans $6 million investment
-New hope for New Center landmark


The new owners, Detroit-based Invictus Equity Group, is betting that its $6 million capital infusion and the hotel's proximity to Henry Ford Health System, the under-construction new Detroit Pistons practice facility to the south and other institutions will pay off as the area around West Grand Boulevard continues to catch the eye of real estate investors.

Invictus is led by Tony Saunders, the former Wayne County CFO who worked on Detroit's bankruptcy restructuring at the Birmingham-based corporate turnaround firm Conway MacKenzie; and Christos Moisides, executive member of Detroit-based 400 Monroe Associates LLC.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...hotel-st-regis

[Docta_Love]

Well hot damn, a good day in the D first progress with the St. Regis and now what sounds like a interesting plan reimagining Detroits cultural center as an even more cohesive district.

Planning to create Detroit cultural campus quietly underway

By SHERRI WELCH
Crain's Detroit Business
February 18, 2018



The plan will encompass the cultural organizations in the district, from the DIA to the Hellenic Museum to the Detroit Public Library, along with other properties interspersed between them, including the Inn on Ferry Street, the Rackham Building and the Park Shelton building.


-Master planning aimed at creating cohesive look, programs for Detroit's cultural district has launched.

....


Supported by a $60,000 grant from the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation to Midtown Detroit to lead it, the larger planning process will include a yet-to-be-announced design contest for the district and a dozen cultural and non-cultural sites within it and incorporate sustainability as a guiding principle.

It builds on two individual projects announced last summer around the same time: a "town square" planning project launched by the DIA to activate its Woodward Avenue plaza as a public gathering space and a joint project to develop "green infrastructure," or natural landscaping, between the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Michigan Science Center to absorb stormwater runoff.

....

"Midtown Detroit's participation will bring on additional stakeholders and unify the cultural district in a truly triple-bottom-line fashion: one that creates physical connections between the organizations in the district, equitably engages residents, provides opportunities for local businesses, manages stormwater, generates new or increased revenue streams for the museums, improves walkability, and adds to the beauty of the area," he said.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ietly-underway

[deja vu]

^ That's great news right there. A more cohesive branding is needed.

[DetroitSky]

I'm surprised there hasn't been a cohesive Cultural Center plan proposed in the past. I am very excited to hear more details and see how this will be implemented.

[Docta_Love]

Curbed has been talking to the community group the State Fairgrounds Development Coalition (SFDC) which formed in 2012 to provide community input for the massive planned redevelopment of the former Michigan State Fairgrounds at 8 Mile and Woodward.

A redevelopment last decade of the corner of site directly on 8 and Woodward centered around a Meijer superstore and other retail outlets including a Jcpenny the project has been successful but is very suburban.

The Magic Johnson lead redevelopment was criticized by community groups as being too auto-centric while some adjustments had been made SFDC is confident that 2018 is the year of a breakthrough. They insist that they aren't making any counter proposals and the group lead by Magic has said from the beginning that they are open to community input so fingers crossed.

Could the redevelopment of the State Fairgrounds gain momentum this year?
This year could be a turning point for the development

By Robin Runyan
Curbed Detroit
Feb 19, 2018




One of the areas up for development in Detroit with the biggest potential is the 160-acre site of the former State Fairgrounds. The area could serve as a great connection between Detroit and the suburbs to the north, but development has stalled over the past few years. A community group, the State Fairgrounds Development Coalition (SFDC), believes that real change could start happening this year.

Crain’s reported on slightly updated renderings from the developers last summer.





Shown here in a rendering, the mixed-use development project proposed for the former Michigan state fairgrounds in Detroit will be more walkable, bikeable and urban than a suburban shopping complex.


SFDC wasn’t in favor of the strip mall-like concept proposed by the developers. Instead, SFDC has suggested a METAExpo—Michigan Energy Transportation Agriculture Expo. Instead of a heavy auto-dependent development, SFDC would like to see more walkable streets, green infrastructure, and transit-oriented development.

https://detroit.curbed.com/2018/2/19...ounds-momentum

[Docta_Love]

76-unit housing development planned on Kercheval in West Village

By ANNALISE FRANK
Crain's Detroit Business
February 21, 2018





-Multifamily development planned for West Village


New construction is planned at 8003 Kercheval Ave. at Van Dyke, according to a document obtained from the city of Detroit through a Freedom of Information Act request in relation to the city's pitch for Amazon's second headquarters. The document says 76 units are planned.

Retail offerings have grown in the east-side neighborhood of late. And the new residential project, dubbed "Van Dyke @ Kercheval," would join the recently opened, 12-unit The Coe mixed-use development just south on Coe Avenue.

....

Detroit-based The Roxbury Group is listed as the developer on the project in the FOIA documents. It declined to comment for this story.



Two buildings sit on land on Kercheval Avenue purchased by an entity connected to Invest Detroit in the Detroit's West Village neighborhood.

....

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...n-west-village

[DetroitSky]

I know forumers have asked a few times why there hasn't been any work at the former Serman's building at 1238 Randolph since Gilbert bought it a few years ago. Its been vacant since Serman's closed and there's been no mention of whats going on with it, which is odd for Gilbert. It seems he quickly starts work on his properties. Months back it was mentioned that the awkward intersection of Randolph, Broadway, Gratiot and Macomb Street would be getting a plaza and traffic reorganized to flow better. They mentioned Macomb Street would be cut off from Randolph.

After Gilbert bought the Cash City pawn shop building at Gratiot/Randolph/Macomb about a month ago the shop, almost immediately, began a liquidation sale. With that rather nondescript property becoming vacant, I'm starting to wonder if we could be expecting new construction here with Cash City and 1238 Randolph being demolished, Macomb Street closed off and subsequently built on and the People Mover somehow incorporated as track goes over the sidewalk next to Cash City. There's also parking lots behind Cash City and 1238 Randolph as well for more potential space.

Again, this is pure speculation and I don't know anything. Would be pretty great to see something substantial built there though.

[Docta_Love]

The article is a few weeks old now so the "soft opening" has already taken place.

I know exactly where that building is good to see some more attention coming to that stretch of Grand River there's been a number of new boutique style stores that have opened in the area over the past 2 - 3 years seems ripe for more.

What I'm really looking forward to though is the day when the Grand River - Greenfield mall gets redeveloped i can't imagine the old department store is in too bad of shape there are a number of shops on the ground floor still open. I don't really know all that much about it but i'd love to see that skywalk back in action.

Grandmont Rosedale Development Corp. to open multi-use art, retail hub

By ANNALISE FRANK
Crain's Detroit Business
February 01, 2018



The nonprofit Grandmont Rosedale Development Corp. is opening the Grand River Annex in a 1,400-square-foot building it previously owned at 19556 Grand River Ave.

-Grandmont Rosedale nonprofit to open Grand River Annex
-It will house Norwest Gallery of Art
-Grand opening Feb. 10


The Annex is funded for a year through a Kresge Foundation community revitalization grant of a little mroe than $100,000, said Larissa Richardson, program manager for Grandmont Rosedale.

Overall, it will be "centered around community engagement," Richardson said, aiming to draw in neighborhood residents.

The nonprofit will use the space for food- and retail-related events, and it will house the new Norwest Gallery of Art.

The gallery of African-American and African art from local and international artists will host monthly rotating exhibitions starting with "Détroit Noir: A Celebration of The Black Aesthetic" during Black History Month, which begins today. The gallery's name is a tribute to the Norwest Theater on Grand River, said Asia Hamilton, its founder and curator, in a news release.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...art-retail-hub

[Docta_Love]

Affordable housing project planned along Gratiot

By CHAD LIVENGOOD
Crain's Detroit Business
February 18, 2018



MHT Housing Inc. and the Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance recently broke ground on a 52,000-square-foot, four-story building at 9100 Gratiot Ave. to be called the Gratiot Central Commons. It will have 36 affordable housing units and ground-floor retail space facing the street.

-Low-income housing company partnering with faith-based group on 36-unit affordable housing project
-$8.3 million Gratiot Central Commons to have street-facing retail
-$6.5 million low-income housing tax credit subsidizing project


The Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance is partnering with a low-income housing development company to build a new $8.3 million mixed-use building along Gratiot Avenue in an area of Detroit's east side that is outside of the city's targeted areas for revitalization.

Bingham Farms-based MHT Housing Inc. and the Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance recently broke ground on a 52,000-square-foot, four-story building at 9100 Gratiot Ave. to be called the Gratiot Central Commons that will have 36 affordable housing units and ground-floor retail space facing the street.

The Gratiot Central Commons will be situated between two existing mixed-use buildings the Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance owns at 8900 Gratiot and 9200 Gratiot, creating a seamless stretch of storefronts along a commercial corridor challenged by decades of disinvestment and blight.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...dio%5D=1259950

[LMich]

A mention of the Monroe Block, but also mainly a story on Bedrock wanting a permanent Eastern Market outpost on Cadillac Square to serve all of the new development.

Downtown Detroit Partnership CEO eyes Cadillac Square for market

By Chad Livengood | Crain's Detroit Business

February 25, 2018

As Dan Gilbert's real estate company prepares to break ground this year on a redevelopment of the Monroe Block, the Downtown Detroit Partnership is starting to contemplate new features to add to Cadillac Square.

DDP CEO Eric Larson is interested in having Eastern Market establish a permanent marketplace building in Cadillac Square for weekday sales of fresh food and locally made products to downtown workers and residents.

"That's a great use for the Cadillac Square," Larson said. "I personally think it would be really fun to get a summer market going in the downtown during the weekday, which doesn't compete with the weekend drive to [Eastern Market]..."

Gilbert's Monroe Block development — bounded by Randolph Street, Bates Street, Cadillac Square and Monroe Avenue — is to include a 35-story building with 818,000 square feet, about 480 multifamily residential units and 170,000 square feet of retail space.

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

Bedrock had a very successful Christmas/winter market on the square during the holidays.


Campus Maritus


Campus Martius

BTW, unrelated, but found this graphic on Crain's.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/sites/d...hic-main_i.jpg

I knew we spent a relative pittance on roads compared to other states, but didn't know it was this much. Anyone know how much borders states spend?

[subterranean]

Wow, that looks great!

[Docta_Love]

I know Ohio spends more than we do on its roads not sure the exact figure but they have a simmilar population (slightly larger) but its a common trope now to mention how Ohio spends more has toll roads ext. and they're roads are better than ours.

Granted conditions are better now than they were a couple years ago when we had those two back to back winters that didn't seem to want to end a small increase in road funding was made but even Snyder said that it was a stopgap measure to catch up on maintenance.

If we really want to have better roads we need to spend even more and invest in the more durable form of paving concrete, U of M is working for the state to make a cheaper version but there doesn't seem to be an immediate answer being proposed like everyone of us who has just got another fucking flat desperately wants.

I've had 9 flats in the past 4 years I do drive a more than the average but still this is nuts.


Edit; Better mass transit would get more cars off the roads therefore taking some of the pressure off the pavement advocates should push this point now.

[north 42]

^ One of the local Detroit newscasts mentioned yesterday that Ohio spent $1 billion more than Michigan last year on roads.

[K85]

My friends and I came through Michigan to Ohio to catch an Indians game a few years back. I shit you not with the following, but when we crossed in from Canada, his phone lost all signal, and roads became massive ass. We went through Detroit, and whatever other highways to get to Ohio. When we drove into Ohio, as the "welcome to Ohio" sign went past, 1 -the weather went from cloudy and some minor rain to sunny and blue skies in about 10 minutes - 2 - the roads immediately became smooth vs the pot holed riddled nonsense - 3 - his cellphone reception went from 0-1 bars, to 5 bars... the 4 of us still can't figure out what the hell it was that changed everything for the better

Originally Posted by Docta_Love

I know Ohio spends more than we do on its roads not sure the exact figure but they have a simmilar population (slightly larger) but its a common trope now to mention how Ohio spends more has toll roads ext. and they're roads are better than ours.

[Docta_Love]

Hmm what carrier do you have? I actually had a bit of a reverse fiasco when I was camping at Lakeport state park which is on the coast of Lake Huron about 15 mins north of Port Huron. Anyways during the first night because I was so close to the border my cell service switched over to a Canadian telecom service and same thing went from 4 bars down to 1 with very little to no service. Once I got a mile away from the lake I switched back to At&T which may be the source of the issue itself..

As a resident and taxpayer I would like to apologize for my roads

Maybe next time take I-96 all the way to M-14 and take that to US-23 south from there I've been on all 3 within the past few months there's a lot of fresh pavement.

A few years ago when the conservative elements of the Republican controlled state legislature were putting up a fight on how to fund a "temporary road funding fix" it was the vivid images of the the divide that you could see when crossing the Ohio border on US-23 or I-75 appearing all over the media that made them climb down. I have family in on the northern fringe of Toledo in Monroe County and I'm glad they fixed up US-23 with new concrete I'm not sure how I-75 is now other than there are several big repair projects essentially the emergency funding bill was to take care of the most urgent repairs.

Now that we can see that the temporary fix was just that a stopgap and more revenue needs to be raised or we will be here in another 2-3 years.

[K85]

At the time, my buddy had an iphone somethingerother (can't remember which one, but it was nearer 4 than current) and was with rogers. I had a flip phone at the time, and two others had non-smart phones too.

[Docta_Love]

Ah hmm I can say from recent experience that my cellular network around here isn't kind to old phones. Idk if what I had happen to me recently (a different incident than what I had mentioned) was the first stage of the infamous throttling down of old iphones (had a 5c till last month). It seems though that companies have the ability to suppress the service of old phones to force people to get new ones, in Italy apple is being called out I believe for "throttling down the service of old iphones".


On related note Icahn Automotive is jumping at the opportunity to "expand its footprint" in Metro Detroit in the wake of this years pothole season by opening new Pep Boys auto-repair shops. haha

[Docta_Love]

Aw snap got a twofer here not only do we seem to have a legit plan for a major theater chain to open in city but Curbed where I came across this article had a pic of the Book Tower from Gratiot all cleaned up which I had yet to come across a good one of. Curbed had a link to the Crain's article and speculation about the location so I posted the Crain's article and the Curbed pic, the curbed article can be found here.

https://detroit.curbed.com/2018/2/28...wntown-detroit

Emagine, Big Sean plan to open movie theater, live music venue in Detroit

By KIRK PINHO
Crain's Detroit Business
February 27, 2018





-Downtown location planned but not yet selected
-Cinema would also include new music venue
-New option for city without a multiplex

Emagine Entertainment Inc. and Detroit-raised rapper Sean "Big Sean" Anderson are opening a new movie theater in downtown Detroit.

Although the Troy-based company has not yet determined a precise location for the theater, which would also include a new music venue, it would provide a new movie option in a city where few exist.

"There is no major movie theater in the city of Detroit — this makes no sense to me," Big Sean said in a statement to Crain's. "I feel that it is necessary to build a theater in the city, not only because of the joy and inspiration movies will bring to people's lives, but I hope this theater will become a hub of creativity — a place for intimate concerts, lectures, meetings, and other events."

An entity tied to Paul Glantz, the founder and chairman of Emagine, has been accumulating property in Detroit's Milwaukee Junction neighborhood, buying a building with a mural saying "We Kahn Do It!" on its eastern wall at East Milwaukee and Brush Street and a handful of small proximate parcels since, according to city land records

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...nue-in-detroit

[DetroitSky]

Some updates from the past few months. I have a few to put in the Metro Detroit thread as well.

Enjoy:

IHOP/Applebee's, Jefferson and Brush


Shinola Hotel, Farmer Street building


1508 Woodward


Alley side of the Downtown Synagogue showing the new fire escape. They received a donation they used to replace the former fire escape, renovate the kitchen, add two bathrooms and begin planning for a comprehensive renovation.


Free Press Building


The Selden


I posted about this before, and I'm still not sure what the plans are or the buildings' exact addresses. Cass between Selden and Parsons.


It was reported awhile back that Greektown Casino would be renamed Jack casino and receive new rooftop signage. The Greektown name appears to be staying. The new signage is installed. A Starbuck's also recently opened in the ground floor.


Pop + Offworld, a barcade similar to nearby Ready Player One, opened last summer in the second floor of Checker Bar. Seen in the photo is a sign saying "we're getting a facelift". I hope they remove those tile and rock facades to reveal the historic facade underneath.


David Stott Building


The Woolworth Building on the right has been having its facade worked on for the past few weeks. I've also noticed that the Fowler Building on the left has had lights on in various windows over the past few nights. Would be nice to see it brought back online.


The Siren Hotel preparing to open at the Wurlitzer Building


Renovations still underway at the Hemmeter Building, where Lear Corp. is opening a satellite headquarters.


2600 Cochrane Street, another project I can't find anything about. Appears abandoned in Google Maps images but is definitely renovated and occupied now.


Detroit PAL's The Corner Ballpark progress along Cochrane Street near Michigan Avenue.


1 Griswold Street being renovated for use by the Church of Scientology.


Renovation just began at Harvard Square.


St. Charles School being turned into condos, West Village.


The Coe, recently opened in West Village


Construction began recently on the formerly vacant upper floors of the Lawyers Building, to be apartments.


Shinola Hotel


Book Tower


Little Caesar's HQ


One Eleven West


The Eddystone


Temple West


WSU Mile Ilitch School of Business


Chili Mustard Onions, Detroit's first vegan coney island, opening April 1 at 3441 Brush.


The Kelemen


Rainbow Child Care Center, Mack at Brush. The renderings are surprisingly nice for this project. It'll fit in well with the historic homes around it.


262 Mack Avenue condos


Construction at Children's Hospital of Michigan


Dinan Building in Eastern Market.


The following are City Modern photos from yesterday, 2/27:

124 Alfred Street


Some carriage houses with townhouses being built behind. A corner of one of the townhouses can be seen at left.


440 Alfred Street


3 renovations on Alfred Street seen from Brush